Washington State thoughtfully rejected Arne Duncan’s threat to cancel its waiver from the absurd demands of No Child Left Behind. The decision to say no to federal demands and intimidation was bipartisan.
The Legislature refused to bend to Duncan’s insistence that the state adopt test-based evaluation, which has consistently failed across the nation and has been declared inaccurate by the nation’s leading scholarly organizations.
The Washington State legislature understands federalism. Secretary Duncan does not. He thinks he is charge of the nation’s schools–every one f them. As someone who spent eight years running the Chicago public school system, one of the nation’s lowest-performing, he should have earned humility. Unfortunately, he enjoys a sense of certainty that is astonishing, almost as astonishing as his indifference to research and evidence.
The sense of the Washington State legislature was succinctly expressed by Chris Rekydal, a Democrat.
Unlike Duncan, Rekydal understands that the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution leaves education policy to states and localities.
He said in a statement:
“As a legislator who voted for our state’s robust home-grown teacher-principal evaluation system and one of the authors of our state’s new rigorous 24-credit graduation framework, I am disappointed in the federal government’s decision to repeal our waiver.
“This is a tremendous moment in our nation’s history where a state that strongly supported the President in 2008 and again in 2012 soundly rejected the federal government’s demands to structure our teacher-principal evaluation system to the specific criteria established by the U.S. Dept. of Education.
“My message to President Obama and Secretary Duncan is that Washington State is committed to education reform that is collaborative, bipartisan, and focused on student success and teacher growth. Our legislative decision to reject the federal government’s demands was done with substantial deliberation and a deep respect for state and local control.
“The bipartisan rejection of this federal government demand during the 2014 legislative session is a strong and unifying message that our state fully embraces our constitutional 10th Amendment guarantee to develop, fund, and administer our state’s education system as the citizens of the state of Washington and their elected representatives determine, not as federal officials deem it appropriate.
“Washington State has one of the leading K-12 systems in the United States. With 89% of our adult population having earned a high school diploma or greater, we are a national leader in student success, employment growth, and earnings.
“I strongly encourage federal officials to use this moment in history to model Washington State’s success instead of using us as an example of federal government power and leverage. I challenge the federal government to turn a corner on education reform, fix the deeply-flawed and failed No Child Left Behind Act, and get back to empowering the states instead of coercing them.
“No Child Left Behind is a failed policy of the Bush administration that focuses on student failure and school punishment. This is no way to run a public education system. Enacting bad policy at the state level as a result of bad policy at the federal level will not help schools – and certainly won’t help students – be successful.”
I was pleasantly shocked and surprised to read this after State Supe Randy Dorn’s statement blaming WEA for losing the waiver. Yet another State Supe who needs to go – he’s worthless, spineless, doesn’t support teachers. This mess has also shown me I will not be helping to campaign for Gov Inslee next time around. He tried to force legislators into doing the Feds bidding, and has not been supportive of teachers, even though we worked our a**es off to campaign for him, when we could have been fighting against the campaign for charter schools instead.
I do hope the legislature takes legal action of some kind if it is possible. I know Dorn and Inslee won’t do a thing. Thank you to our Washington Dems in the legislature, even though the ones in my district all voted to cave to Arne’s demands.
Is there a single state superintendent of education (or equivalent) who is good?
I consider the actions of the Washington state legislature to be heroic.
California’s is better than ours. Someone back east – Maryland maybe? There are a few around, but not many. Too many are part of the Ed Deform crowd rather than the educator crowd.
Washington State – congratulations! You make me proud…..
I agree! It will be interesting to watch the country.
It is worth noting that it will cost Wa. State over $1M to send-out letters claiming our schools are failures. Seattle Public Schools has 95 schools. All schools, with the exception of 2, will be considered failing.
Ironically, among the failing schools in Seattle – and in Washington State – will be the schools with the gifted programs, or those that are solely for gifted kids. Should be fun!
I assume Lakeside has nothing to worry about.
Very interesting about the schools for the gifted.
Nope – Lakeside is private, and has nothing to worry about. Nor do they have to deal with Common Core.
Not in RI!
Arne and his staff are clueless on how to micromange states, districts, schools, and teachers. It saddens me that Obama has supported him and the corporate agenda that is demonizing public schools and funding the formation of corporate “entrpeneurs” in education, all seeking profit. This move by Washington State is encouraging.
Obama is guiding the whole mess, I’m sad to say. Now he’s going after teacher colleges of ed if they don’t produce grads who produce high test scores.
Wow! I’m amazed at the ways they one-up themselves.
If any ed. reform was needed, it should have started with teacher certification programs. This is where teachers/principals are created. Improvements start at the source. But oh no, the Oligarchs picked on an entity bigger than they are (teachers, administrators, parents,and students). Don’t they know that they are out numbered, let alone being dictatorial isn’t in their favor?
What is really encouraging is the idea that WA would not do this without a plan! Supreme Court, here we come.
Obama brought Arne with him from Chicago. Trust me Arne didn’t think this up all by himself (and I voted Dem….but I didn’t really see any other choice…I’m going Green party next time!)
Reblogged this on jonathan lovell's blog and commented:
One of more eloquent statements I have read on the principle of federalism as it applies to the push-back against Arne Duncan’s attempted federal power grab.
I hope the teachers’ union in Washington gets out ahead of the “your child’s school is a failure” letters with a big, sarcastic media blitz that makes NCLB look as foolish as it really is. This is a chance to put a stake in the heart of the vampire, but it’s possible to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
The only reason it may be hard to make NCLB legislation look foolish is because the truth is too unbelievable for the average person to process.
Who would believe that only all elementary and middle schools are failing? And high schools are not.?
Who would believe that the Bellevue schools are all failing because a small fraction of 1% of the students in grade 4 didnt pass an ELA or math test?
Remember NCLB tests only covered grade 3 to 8. How can all schools be failing based on testing only 50% of grade levels?
yes yes yes
The posts today about the Pearson contractual “gag” provision, and Washington’s and Tennessee’s “vam” refusals give parents more support to refuse the testing imposed on our kids. What a bunch of crumby policies we’ve been sold under the cover of noble sounding words like “achievement” and “rigor.”
I feel sold out by my President.
When will Obama do the right thing and yank Duncan and put an end to these ranking and sorting policies?
All of our elected leaders would do well to take the position of Chris Rekydal.
Duncan isn’t the problem. The guy who appointed him is.
yes. Obama is Ed Deformer in Chief
I’m going to pass this statement on to Ohio Democratic gubernatorial challenger, Fitzgerald. Who knows if it will do any good?
Both the NCLB and RTT schemes seem like scams to me. First the federal government adopts an impossible standard (100% achievement) then, if one fails to meet it one is punished. Has any state met that standard? No? really? Amazing. So, all of the threats about NCLB and its doppleganger RTT are just naked grabs of the feds for power over the states. Where are the state’s rights advocates? Where are the Constitutional pundits excoriating Mr. Duncan and his department?
It’s interesting how absent the U.S. Congress seems in these debates.
I understand why Arne Duncan is the focal point of a lot of the anger toward “the Feds,” because he’s a one-man driver of national education policy, using power in his discretion that would have been unimaginable a short while ago. The arguments in the early 1980s that the very existence of the US DOE was unconstitutional were far from frivolous. Today’s DOE is exponentially more powerful, yet its legitimacy is largely accepted. No more lawsuits seeking to abolish the DOE. Not even any lawsuits — yet — challenging the constitutionality of NCLB. It’s easy to deride the Tea Partiers, but the Bush/Obama years have indeed brought forth a tremendous expansion of federal power.
But remember what we’re talking about with these waivers. These are discretionary decisions by the Executive branch (1) to waive the requirements of a law enacted by Congress and then (2) to waive the waiver, and restore the force of the law enacted by Congress. Duncan’s waivers and the conditions he put on them are arguably an unprecedented and unconstitutional act of lawmaking by the Executive branch. But Congress let him do it. Congress largely made it *necessary* for him to do it because it has decided to do nothing about NCLB. Congress could have amended the law to ease its requirements. Congress could have repealed the law entirely. Instead Congress has done nothing. Against this backdrop, it would be very reasonable for Duncan to believe that he’s acting within the powers that have been delegated to him by Congress.
Meanwhile, the states. Maybe we’ll see one of them dust off the old 10th amendment arguments that the conservatives tried 30 plus years ago.
You make very interesting observations. The right is largely silent because the DOE is now doing what they have wished to do for years. They can hardly believe their luck. They’re not going going to make a peep. Only the Tea Partiers may cause them trouble, as they have on CCSS.
I tried to pass a message of thanks on to Rep. Reykdal (Diane, you have a small misspelling), but I can’t send a message to his official site without being a citizen of Washington state. Can anyone let me know how to contact him?
If it requires a WA zip code…
98177 98155 98133 98122 98101 are some Seattle zip codes.
98511 is a Tumwater zip code – his district.
Thanks for the great support folks. We are turning a corner in this country. Stay strong!
chris.reykdal@leg.wa.gov
or
Chris4rep@gmail.com
Thank you so much, Rep. Reykdal!
Outstanding, Rep. Reykdal. This is what real leadership looks like!
Here’s another Tweet you might want to copy and paste and then ReTweet as often as possible:
Washington State’s Chris Rekydal
An American hero
How to say NO to DC’s take over of public schools
http://wp.me/p2odLa-7KV via @DianeRavitch
Here is Rep. Chris Reykdal’s contact information:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/house/representatives/Pages/reykdal.aspx
BTW…Reykdal is up for re-election. He has an opponent and can use financial support. Reykdal is a class act and has enormous amounts of courage.
Thank you, Sarah. Will be donating and talking to my friends in Seattle.
Here is his donation page:
https://secure.piryx.com/donate/ZgCtZE9m/Chris-Reykdal/
Maybe there’s hope for us. If Bill Gates couldn’t buy his home state of Washington, maybe he and his “reformer mafia” can’t buy Texas.
Rep. Reykdal speaks for a number of us in the Washington State Legislature who stood up and said no to ridiculous policy by passing sound policy a couple years ago with regards to teacher evaluation and the use of standardized testing. We already have given school districts the ability to use standardized tests in their evaluation processes by using the word, “can” in authorizing legislation. The Federal government is insisting on “must” for tests that really aren’t even fully developed yet. Disappointing is a Governor and State Superintendent of Schools who have joined an echo chamber of editorial boards and corporate funded “fake grassroots” groups to push the unjustifiable and attack teachers and their organizations. The push back has begun, however. Mike Sells, State Rep., 38th District, House Chair of the Labor & Workforce Development Committee
Thank you, State Representative Mike Sells of Washington State.
Courage and principle matter more than political expediency.
You will be remembered for doing what was right this November.
We must also recognize State Representative Gerry Pollet. These individuals showed an enormous amount of courage.
Neither the Governor (who happens to be spineless)..nor the State Superintendent will stand with the legislators. We also have Stand for Children and other organizations backed by Gates trying to make political hay, point fingers and blame the legislature and teacher unions for hurting children.
Well stated, Rep. Sells and thank you from one of many teachers who have received some rare hope from your legislation and comments. Personally, I’d rather see the “can use standardized tests” policy line eliminated for the reasons you’ve mentioned (among others), but I appreciate your attempt to thread the political needle. Thank you again, Sir, and know you have many behind you.
Thank you, Representative Sells, for your leadership!
I think that there are many others, like me, who see in those fighting innovation-destroying, top-down, micromanagement of schools via standardized testing and national standards as a new generation of leaders being born. It is from among those that we must choose our officials elected to higher office.
Thank you Rep Sells! Can you and Rep Reykdal educate some of the legislators in the 36th District, please!
Representative Sells,
Are you running for office too?
It was a good day for the 10th amendment. Arne Duncan played his trump card and now Washington state is no longer in his evil clutches. Cue music for domino effect?
I very much hope you are right about that, Deborah!
Chris Rekydal sees Duncan’s policies as what they are: Son of NCLB, NCLB Fright Night II: The Nightmare Is Nationalized
Diane, I would simply like to say-thank you.
With the exception of this blog, the mainstream media would have everyone believe that it was the union and teachers that did a terrible disservice to children. Bravo.