6 states to design own plans for fixing schools

[Terri]

By NANCY ZUCKERBROD
Associated Press
July 1, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Six states are getting the OK to write their own prescriptions for ailing schools under the Bush administration's signature education law.

It's a softening from how No Child Left Behind currently works â€" with schools having to take certain steps at specific times for missing math and reading testing goals. Critics have complained that the approach is too rigid and treats schools the same regardless of whether they miss the mark by a little or a lot.

The states getting more freedom under a pilot program are Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and Ohio. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to make the announcement during a speech Tuesday in Austin, Texas.

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[Vozzie]

May God bless and watch over these six states. Let their hands be guided to (re)discover the value of education and to better prepare future generations to better handle the issues we are stumbling on and to takes us to a greater golden age.

May God not allow our best days to be behind us but in front of us. Let the greatness of the Founders spread from sea to shining sea and let our example to once again shine across the globe and inspire other nations that their is greater strength in freedom than oppression.

[Luckyme]

If we could wrest control away from unions and government to get education back under local oversight, I think our children would be much better off.

[schillerbjr]

Good Luck to the 6 states...you will need it!!!

[Tiberius]

Yeah, the problem is the unions and how they decide on how this all will work out is the number 1 problem.