No Child Left Behind waiver for MA

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Since 2001, No Child Left Behind Act has played a significant role in setting certain goals and standards for schools across the country, but President Obama announced today he will give 10 states some flexibility.

Massachusetts is one of those 10 that will be waived from requirements.

President Obama said standards and accountability and closing the achievement gap are still the right goals, but he's willing to give certain states some flexibility in how they meet those goals.

“We have to stay focused on those goals, but we've got to do it in a way that doesn't force teacher to teach to the test, or encourage school to lower their standards to avoid being labeled as failures,” President announced.

The Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester and Senator John Kerry are among many local lawmakers who support this waiver.

Commissioner Chester said No Child Left Behind set unrealistic expectations for perfect, and the state's education department believes this waiver means the federal government is now trusting the state's own 5-tiered system that identifies and improve low performing schools.

Especially for Springfield where the state government has identified 10 schools as underperforming schools, this waiver means a chance to focus on each schools' different needs.

Springfield Public Schools Spokesperson Azelle Cavaan told 22News, under this new guideline, “Teachers are provided more time to talk with each other about what's happening in their classrooms. A math teacher can talk to a science teacher about the same student, struggles that student is having and success that student is having in another area.”

And parents say they are okay with this change.

Charles Bacon of East Longmeadow said, “There are people that are motivated to be in the field and to do good things if they have the ability, so I would trust the evaluators. A little more hands on things as opposed to something as clinical as standardized testing.”

Cavaan told 22News Springfield Public Schools already have programs in place that focus on underperforming schools, and they'll broaden this program.