1. Georgia, Delaware, Minnesota, New York, and South Carolina are the latest to receive No Child Left Behind waiver extensions, along with Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
2. Utah was considering voluntarily ditching its NCLB waiver instead of negotiating with the U.S. Department of Education on things like teacher evaluations, standards, and school turnarounds, but is now seeking a waiver extension.
3. Washington is the first state to lose its NCLB waiver, but the Washington Association of School Administrators may sue U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan saying that he does not have the authority to set conditions for waivers, such as the teacher-evaluation requirement, that are beyond the scope of federal education law.
4. Earlier, Oklahoma legislators repealed the Common Core Standards saying the federal government is trying to influence Oklahoma’s education policies; nevertheless, the state is still seeking a one-year NCLB waiver extension.
5. Rhode Island lawmakers have suspended the use of standardized tests as part of a high school diploma until 2017 and approve legislation that limits the frequency of teacher evaluations for most teachers.
6. The NEA’s new president, Lily Eskelsen Garcia, who began as a school cafeteria lunch lady, is urging teachers nationwide to revolt against “stupid” education reforms and telling politicians to leave teaching to the professionals.
7. The NEA and AFT are trying to forge a new relationship and work together; both organizations are targeting U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and qualifying their support for the Common Core Standards, particularly its implementation.
8. The NEA has now passed a resolution calling for Arne Duncan’s resignation.