News Brief
Louisiana School Head John White Calls for Federal Streamlining
Lafayette Daily Advertiser (LA) (05/08/13) Berry, Deborah B.Louisiana Education Superintendent John White testified during a U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee hearing and said that states must be held accountable for how their school systems perform, but they also need greater flexibility to design the best programs for students. "There is a role for the federal government to insist on accountability. Every state needs to and wants to work with the federal government on that question ... At the same time, it's fair to say that certainly in our state I believe we are years ahead because of the work that we've done ourselves," he said. The committee is considering whether or not to reauthorize the federal No Child Left Behind law. During the hearing, White credited greater empowerment for charter schools, accountability, and investment in a "pipeline" of good teachers and principals as factors driving improvement in Louisiana schools. These provide a "simple framework for improvement," but he indicated the No Child Left Behind law needs to be updated. White urged lawmakers to streamline grant proposals and let states determine how best to spend federal dollars.
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