TPS Superintendent comments on No Child Left Behind

Tulsa Public School Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard still has questions about state's waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama freed 10 states from the requirements of the Bush-era law.  The move gives leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students.  Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee are free from those requirements.

Ballard says the district appreciates the flexibility a waiver can provide, but TPS officials still have a lot of questions about how this will be implemented; "How will the state judge our plans and our progress as we work toward turning around priority schools? We want accountability, but we do need to understand the yardstick. We are enhancing our turnaround strategy for all our priority schools, and look forward to sharing these plans with the state."

Ballard went on to say, "Tulsa Public Schools is pursuing an aggressive reform agenda. One example of this is our emphasis on teacher-leader effectiveness. In fact, we find this portion of the waiver to be very strong, and we support that direction."

I am hopeful this waiver will give us the chance to ramp up and follow through on these promising local initiatives in partnership with the State Department of Education. All we ask for is flexibility . . . the same flexibility the state sought when they pursued the waiver. We have a clear preference for local control, and do not want to have a solution imposed upon us."

State Superintendent Janet Barresi called the move 'game changing.' “We now have added urgency to press ahead with implementation of reforms and a chance to help schools in our state improve. Having this flexibility will empower Oklahoma teachers to focus on each individual student and their growth.”

Governor Mary Fallin said, “More flexibility to pursue Oklahoma-based education reforms is a good thing for the state, our teachers and most importantly our students. The results will be a more dynamic learning environment for our children.

The law required all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014. Obama's action strips away that requirement in exchange for a viable substitute plan.



(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)