Rep. Kline: Local Educators Agree NCLB Waiver Was Mistake

Kline: "While I agree No Child Left Behind is broken and must be revamped, I am strongly opposed to the administration’s efforts to bypass Congress and change the nation’s education system through conditional waivers."

Editor's note: The following is a guest column written for Lakeville Patch by U.S. Congressman John Kline, (R-Second District) of Lakeville. As folks in Minnesota were gearing up for the start of a new school year, I hosted a roundtable discussion with area superintendents, principals, and educators to discuss the state of our elementary and secondary schools. During the discussion at Inver Grove Heights Middle School, participants raised a number of important issues—but no issue received more attention than the waiver granted to Minnesota schools by the Obama administration.  Minnesota is one of 33 states and the District of Columbia to be granted a waiver from certain requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (…

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All Lakeville Schools Above Average Under New Accountability System

All of Lakeville's public schools scored above average under the new accountability system that replaced "No Child Left Behind."

According to the Minnesota Department of Education, all 14 schools in the Lakeville Area Public School District beat state averages under the new school accountability system that’s replacing the old No Child Left Behind measurements. The MDE released the school rankings based on its new accountability system, called "Multiple Measurements Rating," on Tuesday. The news was even better for Lake Marion Elementary School, which earned the coveted “Reward School” designation for those schools in the top 15 percent of Title I schools statewide. The news likely isn't of total shock for Lakeville's administrators since the district and all of its schools made Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind last year. The state was granted a …

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Kline Opposes No Child Left Behind Waiver

Lakeville Congressman John Kline, who is chair of the U.S. House education committee, opposes the No Child Left Behind waiver saying it doesn't address the reforms needed.

While Lakeville's education leaders are thrilled about Thursday's decision to free Minnesota from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law, the news isn't good for everyone. U.S. Congressman John Kline, (R-Second District), of Lakeville, who is also the chairman of the U.S. House education committee told the Star Tribune that he's opposed to the waiver issued to 10 states, including Minnesota, by President Barack Obama. “As you know, I have significant concerns about the administration’s waivers plan. Simply put, this plan does not constitute the long-term reform families, schools, and students need,” Kline said in November, according to the Star Tribune report. “It’s a temporary band-aid on a problem that must be resolved …

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Minnesota One of Ten States to Leave 'No Child' Behind

The President announced Thursday Minnesota’s proposed reforms to its standards and accountability measures would meet requirements to replace the federal No Child Left Behind law passed nearly a decade ago.

Lakeville schools are leaving behind the federal education law No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Well, actually, all of Minnesota is. President Barack Obama announced Thursday that Minnesota would be one of 10 states to receive a reprieve from NCLB in exchange for new, “bold” reforms to improve teacher effectiveness, grade school accountability and efforts to close the achievement gap in social and ethnic categories. The waiver was something Minnesota's education leaders, with Gov. Mark Dayton's support, applied for in August, and was also supported locally by the Lakeville Area Public School District. "I would say almost everybody in education supports reform and waiving current the requirements," said Jason Molesky, the district's assessment …

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Garofalo Co-Signs Letter Asking Feds to Deny Minnesota's 'No Child' Waiver

Garofalo, R-Farmington, and Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, say the Dayton administration is proposing changes to the state's education system in ways that don't follow current law.

Opinion: Opt Out of No Child Left Behind Another Example of Big Government Failure, Thompson Says

With the governor requesting Minnesota be temporarily exempt from No Child Left Behind, Dave Thompson suggests it's time to forget the legislation all together.

Editor's note: The following is a press release and statement issued by State Sen. Dave Thompson (R-District 36) of Lakeville, regarding the request by Governor Mark Dayton to waive the state from federal No Child Left Behind requirements. The Star Tribune is reporting that Governor Mark Dayton has agreed to ask the Obama administration for a temporary waiver of certain No Child Left Behind (NCLB) testing requirements. The Governor made the move in response to the request of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius. “I am glad to see that Governor Dayton recognizes the inherent problems with this onerous federal takeover of education policy," Thompson said in response. "The failure of NCLB is yet another illustration of the ineffectiveness…

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