AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2007 > February > 13
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
‘Beyond’ NCLB: A Call To Action
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This just in for all you No Child Left Behind junkies: An independent commission, which has been studying NCLB in advance of its reauthorization, has released recommendations for improving President Bush’s oft-touted and oft-maligned education reform law.
The Commission on No Child Left Behind, which was funded by various philanthropic foundations and whose co-chairman was former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, has dozens of suggestions for improving and building upon the central tenets of NCLB — namely, closing the achievement gaps among student groups and improving teaching in public schools.
UPDATE: Shortly after the commission released its report, my e-mail Inbox started filling up with press releases from organizations unhappy with the recommendations. One of the best quotes came from Monty Neill of the anti-NCLB group FairTest who said the commission’s suggestions would amount to “NCLB on steroids.” Interestingly, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings also put out a statement on the report. Hers was less colorful than Neill’s.
Permalink | Comments (58) | Post your comment |
Education + Donation = Tax Credit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rumors had been swirling at the Statehouse for weeks that some lawmakers wanted to follow the lead of other states and seek legislation to offer tax credits for businesses and others who give charitable donations for education.
Now we have a bill from state Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) creating two new education organizations that would receive and dole out the donations — as much as $50 million a year — for private school scholarships for low-income and special-needs pupils, as well as grants to public schools for underfunded programs, such as foreign language studies in elementary school.
State senators already passed a bill, now being considered in the House, that would allow students with disabilities a scholarship (a.k.a. a voucher) to attend another public or private school of their choice. Ehrhart told AJC reporter Kevin Duffy that his plan would provide an additional scholarship to cover any remaining tuition for those kids.
One of the main arguments against taxpayer-funded, private school tuition vouchers is that they drain needed funding from public schools. Ehrhart’s plan seems to address that by creating a new pot of money. So would more people support tax credits than a voucher plan or — to mangle Shakespeare — do vouchers by any name still not smell so sweet?
