Senate Joint resolution 30 "Amending the No Child Left Behind Act"
Click for PDF: http://www.akdemocrats.org/sponsor/SJR30_ss_sen_ellis.pdfSchool districts across Alaska and the nation are increasingly discovering that the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, the most far reaching intrusion of federal control into education in the nation's history, imposes mandates that are awkward at best and counterproductive at worst. Moreover, these federal mandates are under funded, further burdening already strained budgets. Some states and school districts have even voted to opt out of federal oversight altogether. While such a drastic step would mean losing federal education grants and perhaps other monies, these states and school districts calculate that the cost of complying with the act outweighs the federal dollars they receive.
Much of the problem lies in the act’s one-size-fits-all approach. Policies that may appear workable from the vantage of Washington, D.C., turn out to be obstacles to success in practice. For example, under the act many excellent teachers would be prevented from teaching subjects they fully understand. An advanced degree in economics or physics would not qualify a teacher to teach basic mathematics, presenting a serious problem in small Alaska schools where a single person typically teaches all sciences and math.
Schools are also required to demonstrate adequate yearly progress as defined by the act, not just for the majority of students, but for each subgroup defined in the act. Under this provision, many very successful schools can find themselves labeled as failing. Each year of failure brings increasingly harsh sanctions that would significantly drive up costs for school districts.
Passage of SJR 30 would add Alaska’s voice to those nationwide that are speaking out about problems with the No Child Left Behind Act. States as diverse as Hawaii, Virginia and Utah have seen legislative efforts protesting the burdens placed on them by the act.
SJR 30 recognizes that Alaska had taken strong steps to improve school performance even before passage of the federal law and asks that Congress give states more flexibility and greater financial support in meeting the act's mandates.
Extras: SJR30 Bill Root