State education officials should be making arrangements to “meaningfully” engage with teachers, unions, parents and community organizations as they prepare to apply for an NCLB waiver from the U.S. Department of Education. That collaboration is required under the waiver rules released earlier this year. Earlier this month, federal officials announced 11 states had already submitted their waiver application to meet the first deadline.
Connecticut working to secure NCLB waiver
State applications for NCLB waivers are due in February, and Connecticut has indicated it will apply. Thirty-nine states, as of November 14, have told the U.S. Department of Education that they intend to seek a waiver.
Mark Linabury, spokesperson for the State Department of Education, says “Connecticut is intending to apply for a waiver under NCLB in February. We will have discussions around strategy and what is Connecticut’s position to move the waiver process forward. Discussions are beginning with an outcome for February.”
Collaboration is required under the waiver rules released earlier this year. State education officials should be making arrangements to “meaningfully” engage with teachers, unions, parents and community organizations as they prepare to apply for an NCLB waiver.
Education Week writes:
To gain a waiver, states will have to adopt college- and career-ready standards and tie state tests to them, adopt a differentiated accountability system that focuses on 15 percent of the most-troubled schools, and craft guidelines for teacher- and principal-evaluation systems that will be based partly on student growth and be used for personnel decisions.
In return, states will no longer have to face the 2014 deadline for bringing all students to proficiency in math and reading, their schools will no longer face NCLB-mandated sanctions, and district officials will have more freedom to move around Title I money for disadvantaged students.
