uld best mimic the federal government's demands. RT3 was not about equity or equality. Instead, it pushed a paradigm of state competition and a funding structure that rewarded states that were ahead of others in the reform areas the USDOE cared about. Green might criticize this process as one that would lead to further funding inequities across states by infusing cash into states that were already doing relatively well.
The USDOE said all the right things when announcing NCLB waivers for states. They hyped the waivers as 'flexibility' from the rigid structure that mandated one accountability system. However, the reality of the waiver negotiations between state and federal bureaucrats was much different. Instead, the federal government set very narrow definitions of the policy changes they wanted in states. I have no confidence that the teacher evaluation reforms mandated by the federal government will improve equality, equity, or excellence in schools. The waivers also allowed states the option of adjusting current accountability systems. However, some states moved to systems that used super-sub groups, meaning they collapsed race and income into one large category. This policy shift will make it much more difficult to track specific achievement gaps, a key measure of equity. The federal government missed an opportunity to increase equality during the waiver process.
So what does this mean?
These days, the local voice is lost in much of the educational policy discourse. Federal and state bureaucrats negotiate plans for how to improve schools, largely without involving parents, teachers, and superintendents. I worry about the future of the educational system absent these voices. Tom Green was right: excellence is best accomplished by allowing localities to customize schooling to fit individual student needs. While federal and state policymakers talk about allowing for flexibility and innovation at the local level, their policies do not match this rhetoric.
The federal government should refocus its effort to help ensure an equitable education for all students but allow excellence to develop at the school and district level. The USDOE has too often tied the hands of districts by pushing very specific reforms, as seen in RT3 and the NCLB waivers. We should allow for much more variability between districts if we truly want our schools, and ultimately our students, to excel.
Tomorrow I will present my recommendations for the reauthorization of ESEA.