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Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings argues issuing waivers for 'No Child Left Behind' is giving off the impression that we have given up ...
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Tomorrow.
Help to education now with -- had becoming the first state to receive a waiver for No Child Left Behind allowing that -- to continue getting money.
For education despite missing several key benchmarks for performance.
So the talk about that let's -- Margaret Spellings.
Former secretary of education United States -- the US chamber of commerce.
Secretary spellings it's good to have you on and this whole idea.
-- -- already Duncan the current secretary of education is basically said that you can get a waiver.
You don't have to put some of the standards in place or meet the standards of No Child Left Behind if you meet other.
Standards what did you make of the secretary's decision made without the help of congress.
Well clearly understand the pressure he's under -- got a lot about myself when I was in office.
But what I'm concerned about what Montana and others in getting a waiver is that it flies in the face of -- of our commitment to the kids you know No Child Left Behind said.
Get children on grade level take twelve years to do it.
I've never met apparent that didn't want their child on grade level while they were in the grade that they were were assigned to.
So I'm concerned that we're given up on kids and -- -- and adults in the system really have a home house at the expense for the student.
Let's say you look at the numbers and your Arnie Duncan -- your analyzing and -- -- yourself what we're just not gonna get there about what I've wish we would.
But I'm looking at an hour on the Euro -- and we're just we're we're just not gonna get there so I can have new incentives have a new character put out there.
For some of these states and say hey listen you don't have to hit the standards that we said you had to -- because we know you're just not gonna get there was no way.
So -- -- to say here's some new things if you make it to my standards then you can get the money.
So -- network.
Make sense or no.
Well this is what the congress is so concerned about you know those are legislative prerogative the secretary any secretary is bound by what's in the loss so for him -- Think of his son's favorite pet policies many of which we at the -- support.
As quid pro clothes for.
You know and postponing.
Student achievement really is not -- call this a lot needs to be re authorized.
The congress needs to act that's clear and I think what secretary Duncan should do is to use his waiver authority in discreet ways.
That that set the table.
For for a new law as opposed to putting in place policy -- objectives that He might like to meet.
That may or may not have support in the congress.
Here's that the other thing though as we sit around -- talking about education we talk about it on our show a lot of times it's going to be an economic issue for gonna compete with China and all these other countries we need our education system do.
At least keep up but definitely improved from where it is.
We've been sitting around you're talking about re authorizing No Child Left Behind since 2007 its 2011.
Right now these are real kids in real schools for the last four years you know who have been left -- the victims of this gridlock in Washington.
So again to see the secretary acting without congress.
To some extent may be you can you can understand why he'd want to bypass -- say He does not allowed did a.
How well I understand that I absolutely do that palace He bypassing them on how -- -- him is basically saying that state you know a lot.
Forget about closing the achievement gap we know it's hard to educate for a minority students to grade level I mean these -- -- standards.
Of what it takes to be competitive in the world of work I mean they have this is the same administration his.
Run and around and we support them talking about college ready standards and -- much higher standards so.
You know we at the chamber think it's hard to get the college ready standards if you can't read on gray black I could mean let's not give up on -- The last thing by the way why are we falling so short of these standards they're put in place and you worked in the Bush Administration where they were.
-- -- that it's been years now over a decade and we we can't get there why not.
Well I think there's a couple of reasons one a low expectations I mean these same states that are appealing to Arnie Duncan for -- for the same folks that asked me form.
Yeah and they really don't think that every child can achieve to high levels the -- has planning.
Of accommodation for for students -- were transitioning to English or -- a word disabled.
And you know we need to do a much much better job by the vast vast majority of kids and -- poor and minority kids are flat -- -- left behind.
And I'm worried that worse -- and you know that's okay.
-- so well what it's all about expectations and former secretary of education thank you very much for coming on to.
