Education secretary urges Perry to apply for No Child Left Behind waiver
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Thursday encouraged Texas to apply for a waiver that would excuse the state from the strictest enforcement elements of the federal No Child Left Behind education policy.
"Right now Texas is still living under the No Child Left Behind law, and there's an opportunity now with a waiver package to provide a lot more flexibility," said Duncan, who spoke with Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday afternoon. "It's something we think many educators in the state as well as children would benefit from."
Duncan was in town to deliver a keynote address at the South by Southwest education conference, SXSWedu, and for a town hall at Austin Community College. He had high praise for Austin institutions in both speeches, though a number of his comments also reflected the tension that has sometimes characterized the Texas-Washington relationship on education matters.
After delivering a speech about the intersection between education and technology to a packed auditorium at the Austin Convention Center, Duncan was asked by an audience member about teaching with a heavy focus on ensuring students pass standardized tests — a core criticism of the No Child Left Behind Act and the state academic accountability system.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/education-secretary-urges-perry-to-apply-for-no-2226323.html
