Over the past year, the U.S. House of Representatives Republican lead Education and Workforce Committee has introduced a series of bills, meant to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB). In the beginning of 2012, Chairman John Kline (R-MN) released the final two bills, The Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. While CEC is hopeful that Congress will complete a full reauthorization of the law, CEC cannot support these bills.
CEC expressed some key concerns about this legislation in a letter to Chairman Kline sent last week. The letter highlights issues which taken together lead to real concerns for all children, including children and youth with disabilities. These concerns include:
- Elimination of Highly Qualified Teacher Provisions
- Lack of Focus on Professional Development
- Increased Privatization
- Reduced, Capped and Eliminated Funding
- Elimination of the 1% Cap
- Reduction of Accountability for Students with Disabilities.
To read CEC’s Letter click here. For more information about the bills, watch this.
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