Spellings' "Differentiated Accountability" Plan Offers Too Little, Too Late

Washington, DC, March 26, 2008 --(PR.com)-- U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings recently announced a new pilot program under No Child Left Behind to assist states in differentiating between underperforming schools that are in dramatic need of improvement and schools that are closer to meeting the goals of NCLB.

In response to Secretary Spellings’ “Differentiated Accountability” plan AFSA released the following statement today from President Jill S. Levy:

“Secretary Spellings’ plan simply offers public schools too little help, too late and is a far cry from what is actually needed”;

“It has taken this administration six years to figure out what school Principals and Supervisors knew to be true immediately – that NCLB is fundamentally flawed and does not only fail to assist public schools, but actually punishes students”;

“Although Secretary Spellings finally realizes that far too many schools are labeled as failing under NCLB, the administration’s slow and inadequate response to the inherent shortcomings within NCLB is simply unacceptable”;

“Ultimately, the members of AFSA will not support reauthorization of NCLB in its current form. We insist that substantial changes be included in the next iteration of ESEA shifting its focus from punishing schools to providing them with the necessary resources and capacity to improve”.

Author, Jill S. Levy, International President-AFSA is the national union of education leaders, representing over 20,000 school principals, assistant principals, supervisors and education professionals throughout the nation, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

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