Ariz. easing fed's rules for school standards

Ariz. easing fed's rules for school standards
Pat Kossan
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 4, 2004 12:00 AM



As complaints about the No Child Left Behind Act grow, the Bush administration's tough, 2-year-old education reform law is quietly being weakened in behind-the-scenes negotiations between states, including Arizona, and Washington, D.C.

Arizona schools chief Tom Horne and state superintendents across the nation are relentlessly, and successfully, negotiating with the U.S. Department of Education to cut deals that make it easier to show their schools are improving.
(snip)

Up to 80 percent of schools would make the federal failing list within a couple of years if changes hadn't been negotiated, he said. Left to the original rules, the expensive fixes for that many schools would have created a costly political and budget dilemma for Arizona. Horne also said it would be difficult for Arizona teachers, students and parents to believe 80 percent of Arizona schools were failing by anyone's standards.
(snip)

Ken Meyer, who works for intergovernmental affairs for the federal agency, visited Arizona recently as a peacemaker, quelling a rebellion brewing in the state Legislature. Lawmakers were considering a bill to ignore the federal act, daring federal officials to stop the flow of at least $300 million Arizona receives in education funding. The bill appears dead.
(snip/...)

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0404aznclb04.html