Spellings stumps for NCLB in Virginia

 The frustration over No Child Left Behind, the federal law that dictates student achievement in public schools, is on record in the Virginia General Assembly. But state lawmakers should think twice before bailing out of the program, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said Wednesday, March 26, 2008. No. 1, the problems are fixable, and No. 2, the state stands to lose millions of dollars if it pulls the plug, she said.

This year, state lawmakers passed a bill that signals their growing discomfort. If Congress renews No Child Left Behind—but doesn’t allow Virginia’s own accountability standards to “substantially meet the requirements of the federal law”—the Board of Education must recommend whether to withdraw from the federal program. Read more in the Newport News, Virginia, Daily Press.