Waiver Frees Colorado From Burdensome Mandates of NCLB

Statement

By Senator Mark Udall

I am proud to announce that Colorado is among 10 states that have been granted a waiver from the burdensome mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). We all want the best education possible for our children, but onerous requirements within NCLB have done more harm than good, hindering Colorado's ability to hold schools accountable for student achievement.

Colorado has led the nation in finding new and better ways to measure students' achievement. Colorado's rules allow schools and parents to better see what works and throw out what doesn't, while keeping standards high and focusing on long-term goals. Our innovative accountability standards have become a nationally recognized growth model. It gives credit where credit is due, and supports our students and schools. That's why I introduced the Growth to Excellence Act -- to enable states across the nation to use Colorado's innovative accountability system. It provides the right incentives for students, teachers and parents to collaborate on educational success.

In the meantime, I support the efforts of Colorado and the other states that have asked to be freed from the restrictive, one-size-fits-all requirements of NCLB. This past September, I joined 10 of my Senate colleagues in writing a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan commending him for his decision to use existing legal authority to grant their request. Our focus should be on ensuring students leave high school ready for college and a career. As Congress seeks to reform and improve NCLB, I'm glad the administration has recognized that Colorado has developed a better way to hold kids and teachers accountable, and shouldn't be held back by the burdensome federal law.

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