More than half of states have asked the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver from No Child Left Behind. Ten years after President George W. Bush signed the law, the Obama administration appears willing to grant waivers, so long as states adopt a new set of requirements favored by the current occupant in the White House.
Chief among them is the Common Core State Standards, national standards and tests that require states to surrender control of their classrooms.
That doesn’t sit well with Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), a former high school teacher and founder of the 10th Amendment Task Force. He’s no fan of Washington’s approach to education reform. Earlier this week he visited Heritage to outline his vision: the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act.
Listen to the interview with Rep. Rob Bishop on this week’s Scribecast
The A-PLUS Act is the conservative alternative to No Child Left Behind. Heritage’s Rachel Sheffield says it would give states “greater freedom to decide how their education dollars are spent to meet their students’ needs.” Bishop, meanwhile, sees the legislation as an opportunity to put states, not the federal government, in control of education.
“It has always been the concept of a conservative alternative,” Bishop told us, “that tries to meet the needs of kids and also tries to respect the roles of government that we haven’t done so well at for seven or eight decades.”
The legislation currently has 93 cosponsors in the House and is awaiting action from the House Education and Workforce Committee. A companion bill is sponsored by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC).
The podcast runs about 10 minutes. It was produced with the help of Hannah Sternberg. Listen to previous interviews on Scribecast or subscribe to future episodes.
Just don't like "meeting the kids needs" that are determined by government or where there is a controlled conflict infringing on parental role? Offer standards of achievement that builds motivation!
too much MONEY and involvement regarding social issues dangerously interpreted as fact when social issues are learned on ones own throughout life and without paid controlling influence. Just because the federal government, Van Jones, reverend sharpton and all the like minded willing to be victims of someone elses personal perception of their own society choosing restraint on their own minds ability, want to belittle everyone else to convince people the federal government's way that all "white" is racist, won't influence many as people are individuals and many exercise their mind's own ability to respect that to think and see for oneself how and who people are. these race baiters do enjoy the vulnerability of the youth.
To educate personal perceptions into personal interpretations as education is egregious, reprehensible and indignant! Same with "gay" issues! Learned on ones own, throughout life that needs no instruction within the walls of public education. Personal matters go to private schools and need not apply within the walls of public education at the expense of those without benefit!
Race baiting is non productive! Get it out and stop the funding!!! People can be seen for who they are without government support of condescension, telling people who they are. It's called respecting the minds' personal ability to think, to reason and decide for oneself that the government is trying to keep people from using with these little van jonsies and al sharptons and jesse jacksons and the pink panthers walking around making race a priority over the acts between individuals. Educate facts for knowledge sake that teach without influences of personal social displeasures!
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