Via NYDailyNews
President Obama announced plans Saturday to overhaul the controversial No Child Left Behind act – even dropping its well-known name.
The new Elementary and Secondary Education Act will focus on providing incentives to schools that make progress toward better educating the nation’s students instead of punishing schools that don’t meet benchmarks, Obama said.
During his weekly radio address, Obama said that he expects to submit to Congress tomorrow a blueprint for dismantling No Child, which was adopted under former President George Bush.
The plan focuses on preparing students for college and careers and on bolstering teachers’ skills.
“Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down,” Obama said.
Additionally, the new plan would measure states’ success in subjects beyond reading and mathematics. Critics of No Child have said that it failed to emphasize science, art, history and other subjects.
Last year’s stimulus bill included $3.5 billion to address the problem of failing schools. The administration has also proposed $900 million for cities and states that turn around or close their worst schools.
