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The hard work of leaving behind No Child Left Behind
New Jersey certainly seems to have a good shot at a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which would free the state from some of the constraints dictated by the controversial law.
When President Obama last week announced details of the new waiver, acting education commissioner Chris Cerf was at the White House. An hour later, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan hosted a press conference by phone, and Cerf was one of just two state commissioners with him on the call.
But for all the invitations and allegiances, now comes the hard part. In order to qualify for a waiver, Cerf’s and Gov. Chris Christie’s education agenda must be tailored to the evolving — and detailed — guidelines coming out of Washington, D.C. The first round of applications is due November 14.
“It’s not just the writing of the application,” Cerf said yesterday. “It’s the policy we’ll need in place.” (Mooney, NJ Spotlight)
