House suggests opting out of education reform act

By B.J. Reyes
Associated Press

The state Board of Education and state superintendent are being asked to consider opting out of the federal No Child Left Behind Act under a measure adopted yesterday by the state House.

The nonbinding resolution asks state education officials to return all federal money appropriated under the act unless Congress covers the full cost of the act.

The state is expected to receive $72.3 million over the next two fiscal years to implement the act. According to the resolution, an analysis by the state Department of Education estimates it will need an additional $176.3 million next fiscal year alone to reach compliance.

Supporters of the resolution also argued that the federal act sets standards that would be impossible for state schools to reach.

The act requires annual testing for grades three through eight and highly qualified teachers in every classroom. Schools that fail to meet the goals of the law are deemed "in need of improvement" and must offer students extra tutoring and the chance to transfer to a higher-achieving school in the district.

"I think the No Child Left Behind Act is missing the boat because it's not actually paying attention to those things that matter from an educational perspective," said Rep. Brian Schatz, D-25th (Makiki, Tantalus).

For example, he said schools that do not achieve 95 percent attendance would be considered failing under the act.

"If you're at 94 percent attendance, your school's a failure," Schatz said. "It's going to label a lot of excellent schools in our community as failing, and I think that's the wrong way to go."

House lawmakers adopted the resolution 28-15 with eight members absent. Opposition came from all Republicans in attendance and Democratic Rep. Alex Sonson, D-35th (Waipahu, Crestview), who argued that adopting the resolution would be giving up on trying to improve schools.

"We are leaders," said Sonson. "I cannot be a leader and say to the people that I represent, 'Give up. It's too hard.' I don't think that's what we want."

Others also noted that the state cannot afford to be declining any money at a time when state finances are strapped.

"We're not talking about an inconsequential amount of money," said Rep. David Pendleton, R-49th (Kane'ohe, Maunawili, Enchanted Lake). "We're talking about real dollars.

"My concern is that any kind of pulling out of something like this is premature. There are far too many good things from this No Child Left Behind Act to turn down."