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Kansas NCLB Waiver Could Have Unintended Consequences

The No Child Left Behind Act was designed by President George W. Bush’s administration to improve failing schools. But since its passage, several states have sought exemptions from the program, which implements national educational standards.

Kansas received one of those waivers last week, but state Board of Education member Walt Chappell says there’s no real advantage to being waived from the requirements of the program.

“I think we are actually stepping into a minefield here of lots of unknowns with lots of expense, and not really any difference in how we are going to teach our kids,” says Chappell.

Chappell says he’d like to see schools return to a focus on teaching desirable skills, so that students can find work when they graduate from high school.