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The Arizona Business & Education Coalition (ABEC) asks our legislators to "stay the course" on No Child Left Behind. We ask our legislators to oppose any effort to opt out NCLB - not only because we cannot afford the loss of $600 million in education funding but because it keeps us focused on success for every child. We agree there are problems with NCLB, but ABEC supports its vision as it sets high expectations for all students and provides transparency for community members. We support the growth model, a change in the NCLB's accountability measure. ABEC is concerned that the law can be demoralizing to hard-working teachers within a school setting. We are concerned that Arizona's data-collection system, foundational to assessing success of schools, be accurate and comprehensive. We believe that there are insufficient appropriations to implement NCLB and that reauthorization should address other specific educator concerns. There must be a rational alignment between NCLB and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). But we also believe that the ideas and principles of NCLB need to be retained. There is no magical solution, so we must provide the resources and commitment to expect all children to succeed in public schools. It is a moral issue. - Susan Carlson, Phoenix The writer is executive director of the Arizona Business & Education Coalition. |
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