A New Era

Schools across America now have entered a new era. After four years of a stalled debate over renewing the No Child Left Behind Act, the Obama administration has set sail from the accountability law.

The president announced last week that 10 states no longer will be bound by some provisions of the bipartisan measure that was passed under President George W. Bush in 2001. Look for more states to join them.

Will this new course work? We better hope it does.

The school accountability movement started about 20 years ago because of a growing concern among civil rights leaders and business executives that campuses were leaving behind poor and minority students. If we retreat from the movement’s driving force, which resulted in No Child, poor minority kids one day will wonder why the rest of us abandoned them.

But here we are, so what’s the best way to look at the administration’s moves?

Let’s start with the positives: The White House isn’t fully cutting loose those 10 states. They still must test their students. They must show whether the students are on a path that prepares them for college or a good career. And they must come up with better ways to evaluate teachers and principals.

Photo Description: Two turkey vultures sitting atop a utility pole next to an osprey's nest are driven away by an unexpected visit. School districts must come up with improved ways to evaluate teachers and principals. Not just drive them out!