More Flexibility Needed For Local Schools
In 2001, Congress passed landmark education legislation that put an emphasis on accountability. It was a way to measure our schools and make sure that our children were learning. It also allowed states to pinpoint schools and curriculums that were not meeting the challenge of effectively educating our children.
The results are in and we have seen some increases in test scores, especially in math and reading. I believe that educators and administrators have risen to the challenge. For instance, here in Missouri, education leaders decided to set some of the highest standards in the country.
However, no piece of legislation is ever perfect. As Congress gets ready to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, now is a good time to end one-size-fits-all sanctions on schools.
In addition, we need to change the way we measure student progress and the way we hold schools accountable for that progress. Each child is unique. Some have a gift for learning while others must work harder to stay ahead. Instead of holding children and schools to arbitrary benchmarks of performance, we should instead measure how each student in a school improves from year to year and reward those schools that help their students make substantial gains in performance. Our goal should be to help each child reach his or her full potential, instead of setting-up unrealistic scenarios where even the most dedicated students and teachers fail.
We have made progress and I believe with common sense changes, we can create something that works well for Missouri parents, teachers and students.
Sincerely,
