Feds, Florida Hide Behind NCLB Waiver

The NCLB waiver is evil!

I've been reading about the proposed FCAT scoring and school grading policies being adopted by the Florida State Board of Education.  It seems that one of the major factors being cited by the State for developing these policies is the need to comply with NCLB waiver requirements. 

On the federal level, it has been tremendously disappointing to see that the Obama administration has been complicit in perpetrating further damage to our educational system by supporting, through a lack of ideas and initiative, NCLB.  Their idea of a waiver is to force states to develop policies in order to make state mandates look more NCLB-like.  The reason to get out from NCLB is because NCLB doesn't work...GET IT? 

But instead of developing a federal policy that improves our educational system, a federal bureaucrat came up with the non-waiver waiver idea.  Now the USDOE can say they are "maintaining high standards" and at the same time, pass the blame off to the states when these discriminatory policies "hit the fan."

Evil!

I must admit that I will vote for Obama this year.  I believe, considering the hand he was dealt, he has had a number of accomplishments.  However, his administration has accomplished NOTHING in the field of education.  In reality, he has allowed Arne Duncan to make things worse.  I haven't seen him play but I understand that Arne's contribution to the Obama cabinet is that he is a serious baller.  Maybe he should use his "expertise" for beating a match-up zone instead of beating down public education.

I will also admit that if one of the "geniuses" that make up the GOP field had a viable plan for public education, I would seriously consider voting for him.  Unfortunately, I facetiously call them geniuses for a reason.  Our best bet seems to be a second Obama term.  One can hope that the President replaces his b-ball pal with a true educator.

On the state level, because these policies discriminate (see "Florida Grading System Reaches New Lows") against students from low income and minority families, the State Board of Education should abandon the proposed policies, abandon the waiver altogether and let the NCLB chips fall.  The Feds are clearly uncomfortable dealing with the political fallout from having a nation of non-AYP schools. By meeting their waiver requirements, states allow the USDOE to continue to do nothing to remedy the nightmare known as NCLB.  Forget the waiver...make the Federal government fix the stupidity they foisted upon us.

However, this would be the right thing to do and my sense is that this will not occur for a variety of reasons. 

First...most in our state legislature have made their careers out of trashing public education.  It would take an act of political courage (not to mention ethics) for a politician to admit that using tests is discriminatory and wrong AND then take action to rectify the situation.  Political courage AND ethics in the Florida legislature?  Not happening!

Next, the big money is in testing...at both the state and federal level.  Publishers write the tests, the texts that supposedly address the test item specs, as well as the supplemental materials meant to help our language acquisition students and students with disabilities.  Publishers have always put large sums of money into the campaign coffers of politicians.  (Only a drop in the bucket compared to the amount to be made off testing.)  That amount has grown exponentially since the inception of the A+ Plan in Florida and NCLB nationally.  Need I say more?  If so, re-read the last few sentences of the previous paragraph.

More evil!

Also, these policies give those who have a privatization agenda for our educational system more ammunition.  As schools struggle to make the grade in the face of institutional discrimination, politicians bellow that only a private entity can help our kids.

This is another area where money has had a huge influence.  There is money to be made in the privatization of public education.  Since Jeb Bush, our governors have established a climate that encourages privatization of most state services including education.  Regardless of the fact that none of the privatization initiatives (nationally) have been truly successul, money talks.

Pure evil!

Finally...and this is big...no matter how discriminatory these policies may be, the waiver from NCLB gives political cover to our state legislators and board of education.  When questioned, they can point their fingers at the NCLB waiver.  They can tell us that it is the Feds' fault that the State of Florida is discriminating against schools that serve minority and/or low income populations.  They can say the State must discriminate because it's the only way Florida can get out from under the thumb of the Feds.  In other words, "The devil made me do it!"

So, there you have it.  The NCLB waiver (and the new test-scoring policy) benefits no students, no parents, no teacher, no school.  Many students, parents, teachers and schools are in harm's way as a result of the waiver.  Meanwhile, the fortunes of politicians, publishers and privateers continue to grow...and it's all done under cover...under the cover of the NCLB waiver.

The devil made them do it, alright.  How else can one explain such evil?