Local school leaders applaud the news that Georgia will be granted waivers from the No Child Left Behind act. Assistant Superintendent with the Carroll County School system, Kathy Rogers is pleased that the requirements are going away but says perhaps they were necessary to get schools to this new point. “What is not good about NCLB, is that it does not take into account that every student is a different learner and has different needs,” she says. “By that I mean, that by 2014, every student had to be on ‘grade level’ and that’s just not possible. It is possible to move students forward and to help them achieve at higher levels, but every student does not learn in the same way.”
Under a new plan, Georgia would stop rating schools as simply passing or failing. Instead a five-star system and colored flags would indicate whether schools are making gains. A whole host of factors would play into a school's evaluation, including how many students are taking advanced placement classes.
Carrollton City Schools Director Of Community Affairs, Trent North has studied the new plan since last October. He says it is fair to students and teachers. “At the same time, it holds districts and administrators accountable for making sure that we provide quality instruction,” he says. “Parents are going to be able to follow the success of their student from a growth perspective from one year to the next and analyze the system, as well.”
President Barack Obama announced Thursday that 10 states, including Georgia would be awarded waivers from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind law.