U.S. Secretary of Education Sets New Year’s Resolution: Reform NCLB

U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan has publically announced his New Year’s resolution: overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  While Secretary Duncan has urged Congress to rewrite NCLB for some time – including at CEC’s 2010 Annual Convention & Expo – this most recent plea comes as a new Congress prepares to be sworn into office this Wednesday. 

With Republicans preparing to take the majority in the House of Representatives and gaining seats in the Senate, political pundits wonder whether legislative gridlock will ensue or if members of Congress will address issues in a bipartisan manner.

It is with this mindset that Sec. Duncan’s Washington Post Op-Ed calls NCLB reauthorization an area for bipartisan action. In fact, Sec. Duncan outlines many areas where Republicans and Democrats agree, such as disliking labeling schools as ‘failing’,  the law’s ‘one-size-fits-all mandates’, and increasing transparency in test scores for students with disabilities, among other student subgroups.

CEC has long advocated within Congress and the Administration to revamp No Child Left Behind so that it better supports high quality teaching and learning, equality of educational opportunity to learn, and improving achievement for students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents.  Just last year, CEC expanded its recommendations to Congress to include pressing issues such as differentiated compensation systems (AKA – pay for performance) and charter schools. Read CEC’s full recommendations here.

With Sec. Duncan renewing his plea to Congress to revise NCLB and over 100 new members of Congress coming to Washington, there has never been a more critical time to become involved in CEC’s advocacy efforts.  CEC relies on an active membership to educate members of Congress about the unique role of special educators.  To become involved in CEC’s advocacy efforts, click here.