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President Obama promises that it's time to revamp the No Child Left Behind laws and replace them with something more flexible. I agree. As an education reporter in Lansing, Mich., our state's capital, I've watched local school districts struggle to meet the inflexible guidelines required by No Child Left Behind, and struggle to pay for the required changes.
I've watched them close alternative high schools because kids in those programs often are returning dropouts, teen parents, or kids with physical or psychological issues who can't graduate in four years, as the law requires.
I've watched local districts make huge strides academically, and still be listed as "failing" because of the law's technicalities.
I've watched them struggle with ways to best serve kids with disabilities who cannot succeed at standardized tests.
President Obama also suggests that new ways must be found to encourage and reward good teachers, and he is right. No Child Left Behind does, appropriately, require that teachers be highly qualified in the subjects they teach. Now it is time to take the next step, and find ways to make sure they're also highly effective, engaged and enthusiastic. Flexibility and creativity will take education to the next level.
Kathleen Lavey
Lansing, Mich.
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