LEARN Act from U.S. Rep. Garrett Would “Return” K-12 Policy to States
By Andrew Ujifusa on June 19, 2013 4:21 PM
The big federal news this week has been Sec. Arne Duncan’s announcement that his department is willing to allow states that have received No Child Left Behind waivers to postpone the use of student growth on state tests in personnel decisions for an additional year, up until the 2016-17 school year. But one member of Congress, Rep. Scott Garrett of New Jersey, wants to take “flexibility” for states in an even bolder direction: He wants states to be able to opt out of No Child Left Behind accountability entirely, no strings attached.
My Politics K-12 colleague Alyson Klein mentioned Garrett’s proposal at the end of a June 17 blog post about conservative arguments possibly hindering reauthorization of NCLB. The Local Education Authority Returns Now (LEARN) Act, which Garrett announced he reintroduced June 17, “will give states the option to opt out of No Child Left Behind. In return, the federal government would provide taxpayers of the opt-out state a tax credit, thereby keeping money in the pockets of taxpayers instead of sending it to Washington, D.C.” H.R. 2394, which has 18 original co-sponsors, would work through three steps, according to a press release describing the bill.
Mr. Garrett is not in the real world with that idea. He would not have NJ eligible for federal “education funds” otherwise ….
He should rethink his advice….