biz4achievement.org

September 11 , 2007

 

BUSINESS COALITION FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 11, 2007

 

NCLB:"Moving Forward"

On September 5th, BCSA hosted U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Arthur F. Ryan, chairman & CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc. and co-chair of BCSA, members of Congress and leaders from the community who delivered remarks highlighting the success of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Speakers at the event included (from left to right): 

  • Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial, Inc., and co-chair of BCSA
  • Ronald E. Jackson, Executive Director of Citizens for Better Schools
  • Ricki Sabia, Associate Director of the National Down Syndrome Society Policy Center
  • Margaret Spellings, U.S. Department of Education Secretary
  • Eduardo Cancino, Superintendent of Hidalgo Independent School District.  

Representative George Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and Representative Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, Senior Republican member of the committee, also delivered remarks.

To view the multimedia press release, which includes video excerpts of the speakers’ remarks, photos, and related documents, please click here.

BCSA is committed to working with all stakeholders, including legislators, educators, parents and students, to ensure that a strengthened NCLB is reauthorized this year. NCLB has strengthened public schools in the United States and helped to ensure that every single child receives a good education. The results have shown that many students are improving in reading and math assessments. Improving the performance of the K-12 education system in American public schools is necessary to provide a strong foundation for both U.S. competitiveness and for individuals to succeed in the rapidly changing global economy.


News from BCSA’s “NCLB: Moving Forward” Event:

“‘No Child’ Loopholes Decried.” Washington Post.
 In a speech to the Business Coalition for Student Achievement, Secretary Margaret Spellings said she is willing to consider proposals for No Child Left Behind that allow states to use more than just annual tests in reading and math to rate schools and to treat differently schools that fall only slightly short of targets. But she said she is not willing to bend if the changes mean struggling students won't get the extra help they need.

“Secretary of Education Criticizes Proposal.” New York Times.
 In a speech before a business group and at a news conference, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said that a series of proposals in draft legislation circulated by Democrats and Republicans on the House education committee, taken together, would allow states to remove children from testing regimes and tutoring services, and would make it too difficult for parents to know whether students and schools are making progress.  

“Spellings Criticizes Education Reforms.” Associated Press.
 Secretary Margaret Spellings said in a speech to business leaders, "We must refuse to make any changes that would make us less accountable for educating every child to grade-level standards in reading and math.


Recent News about NCLB

“Really Leaving No Child Behind.” New York Times.
 If all of the nation’s children are to get the education they deserve, Congress needs to strengthen the No Child Left Behind law. Mr. Miller’s draft contains some important reforms that deserve to become law, but much of that good will be undermined if states, schools and teachers are not held accountable for the quality of education they provide.

“Draft NCLB Bill Intensifies the Discussion.” Education Week.
 The release this week of a preliminary proposal for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act starts a busy fall in Congress, as both the House and the Senate try to revamp the NCLB accountability system and ramp up efforts to improve struggling schools.

“Spotlight on failure is NCLB’s virtue.” The Virginian-Pilot.
Critics of the federal No Child Left Behind law need to visit the 547 students at Petersburg's Vernon Johns Middle School and the 443 children at Richmond's Chandler Middle School and explain their skepticism. Those 990 youths, plus thousands of other disadvantaged students, have risen from invisibility to the pinnacle of public attention in no small measure because of the law. Now, as Congress prepares to debate re-enactment, such children need to be front and center in the public consciousness. Even in a state that sets relatively high standards, and prides itself on being a great place to raise children, the federal law adds a critical layer of accountability.


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