Rod Paige Lashes Out at NCLB Critics

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

Looks like the rising, bi-partisan tide of NCLB criticism is getting to 
Rod Paige and other knee-jerk Administration supporters


          EDUCATION SECRETARY: STATES OVERREACHTING TO NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

                                        Associated Press- Februay 19, 2004
                                                    by Brian Bakst

St. Paul -- States threatening to reject the federal No Child Left 
Behind law, including Minnesota, are overreacting and probably bluffing, 
U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige said during a Wednesday visit to an 
elementary school in St. Paul.

He said failure to comply with President Bush's education initiative 
could cost those states millions of dollars in federal money.

"Every requirement in the No Child Left Behind act is a condition of 
receiving federal funds appropriated under that act," he said.

The law requires more student testing, puts pressure on low-performing 
schools to improve and establishes new teacher-quality rules. The goal 
of the law is to have all children be proficient in reading and math by 
2014, regardless of their background.

Several states are fighting the law because they say it represents an 
unprecedented federal intrusion into classrooms without providing enough 
money to pay for the changes it compels.

On Tuesday, a Minnesota Senate committee gave a favorable recommendation 
to a bill canceling state contracts related to No Child Left Behind. 
Last week in Utah, the Republican-controlled House voted to not comply 
with any provisions for which the federal government has not supplied 
enough money.

Paige said he doubts any state will follow through on the threat.

"Everybody is going to understand that this is the best thing for 
children," Paige said. "I would bet you in the final analysis there is 
going to be very little of this opting out business."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, vowed to put down any 
rebellion in his state.

"We are not going to opt out of No Child Left Behind. Period. 
Paragraph," he said after touring a St. Paul elementary school with 
Paige. "We are not going backward. We are going forward."

Paige also cited a decision in December to permit states to hold 
children with the most severe learning problems to a different academic 
standard than their peers. He said he will announce new regulations 
today to address concerns about the way students learning English as a 
second language are assessed.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/news/local/7988149.htm