Hawai’i says no to No Child Left Behind

 When President Bush steps to the podium today in Washington, DC, for his last State of the Union address, he is expected to call on Congress to reauthorize his landmark education law, but Hawai’i’s lawmakers will be a tough sell. During the six years No Child Left Behind has been in effect, the state’s schools have languished in the bottom quarter nationally, despite slight gains. The law ended Oct. 1, but its programs have continued under an automatic one-year extension.

“At its core, the act promised higher standards for educators and schools, achievement testing to measure success and funding to support both the increased standards and the testing,” said Senator Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawai’i. But, Inouye said, the law’s standards have been applied “inflexibly” to punish schools and educators, testing has been unfair and expensive, and federal funding has been less than required. Read more in The Honolulu Advertiser online.