“We would like much more attention to high schools,” Wotorson says. “By failing to address the high school issue head-on, we’re solidifying the reality of ‘two Americas.’”
High schools serving low-income students lack sufficient funding and have less access to quality teachers. While NCLB has a requirement for districts to employ “highly qualified” teachers, this provision is “not monitored or enforced sufficiently,” Wotorson says.
As the House of Representatives launches a series of hearings on NCLB’s future, conservatives are calling for their own changes in the law. While pledging a bipartisan review of the law, House Republican leaders have outlined their own priorities for the legislation, which include restoring local control—with less federal input—and protecting taxpayers, a goal that may be at odds with others’ call for more funding.
“We have listened to parents, teachers, principals and school boards, and we know there is not a one-size-fits-all federal solution to the challenges that face our schools,” says Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), the senior Republican on the House education panel.
Other GOP priorities are empowering teachers and more flexibility for teachers, removing what it terms “onerous” federal requirements.
The House kicked off its efforts in late February with a hearing on charter schools. There is no timetable for development of a bill, though the education committee has pledged an “open, transparent” review of the law this year.
