Post by Moses on May 30, 2005 11:57:12 GMT -5
www.cato.org/new/05-05/05-27-05r.html
May 27, 2005
Media Contact: (202) 789-5200
No Child Left Behind: Streamlined Reform or Regulatory Nightmare?
WASHINGTON -- The bipartisan revolt by education officials in Utah is rapidly spreading into a national rebellion against the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). With three-dozen states now scrutinizing the landmark legislation as an unhealthy extension of federal power into an area historically reserved for the states, the future of American education reform and NCLB is uncertain.
Is NCLB the streamlined reform promised, or is it the regulatory nightmare some states claim it to be? In a new policy analysis for the Cato Institute, "NCLB: The Dangers of Centralized Education Policy," Lawrence A. Uzzell, former staffer with the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. House and Senate Subcommittees on education, addresses the failings of the legislation and argues that the "dynamic force of competition" needs unleashing for effective education reform.
Charging that NCLB directly contradicts the principles of an "ownership society," which the Bush administration is promoting in other areas of domestic policy such as Social Security reform, Uzzell describes the statute as a "reform strategy at war with itself." NCLB may result in the "unconstitutional consolidation of power in Washington over the schools, with that power being used to promote mediocrity rather than excellence." According to Uzzell, as things stand Washington will be forced either to allow the states to dumb down standards or to make NCLB even more prescriptive and top-heavy.
"The key locus for reforms is the states," Uzzell asserts. "The best contribution the national government can make to educational improvement is to avoid educational policymaking and allow states to experiment with social choice programs."
Coinciding with the release of Uzzell's policy analysis on Tuesday, May 31st, the Cato Institute will also host a policy forum entitled "The Future of the No Child Left Behind Act." The forum promises serious debate on the issues surrounding American education reform, and will feature Lawrence A. Uzzell, along with Rep. Margaret Dayton, Utah State House of Representatives, and Chester E. Finn, Jr., from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
A luncheon will follow. The event may be viewed online. Members of the media are encouraged to pre-register by calling 202-789-5200 or emailing media2@cato.org. The Cato Institute is located at 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001.
Policy Analysis 544
May 27, 2005
Media Contact: (202) 789-5200
No Child Left Behind: Streamlined Reform or Regulatory Nightmare?
WASHINGTON -- The bipartisan revolt by education officials in Utah is rapidly spreading into a national rebellion against the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). With three-dozen states now scrutinizing the landmark legislation as an unhealthy extension of federal power into an area historically reserved for the states, the future of American education reform and NCLB is uncertain.
Is NCLB the streamlined reform promised, or is it the regulatory nightmare some states claim it to be? In a new policy analysis for the Cato Institute, "NCLB: The Dangers of Centralized Education Policy," Lawrence A. Uzzell, former staffer with the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. House and Senate Subcommittees on education, addresses the failings of the legislation and argues that the "dynamic force of competition" needs unleashing for effective education reform.
Charging that NCLB directly contradicts the principles of an "ownership society," which the Bush administration is promoting in other areas of domestic policy such as Social Security reform, Uzzell describes the statute as a "reform strategy at war with itself." NCLB may result in the "unconstitutional consolidation of power in Washington over the schools, with that power being used to promote mediocrity rather than excellence." According to Uzzell, as things stand Washington will be forced either to allow the states to dumb down standards or to make NCLB even more prescriptive and top-heavy.
"The key locus for reforms is the states," Uzzell asserts. "The best contribution the national government can make to educational improvement is to avoid educational policymaking and allow states to experiment with social choice programs."
Coinciding with the release of Uzzell's policy analysis on Tuesday, May 31st, the Cato Institute will also host a policy forum entitled "The Future of the No Child Left Behind Act." The forum promises serious debate on the issues surrounding American education reform, and will feature Lawrence A. Uzzell, along with Rep. Margaret Dayton, Utah State House of Representatives, and Chester E. Finn, Jr., from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation.
A luncheon will follow. The event may be viewed online. Members of the media are encouraged to pre-register by calling 202-789-5200 or emailing media2@cato.org. The Cato Institute is located at 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001.
Policy Analysis 544