Maybe Utah means business this time. After several skirmishes over NCLB between the Beehive state and the feds (see here and here), the legislature seems to be on the verge of rejecting NCLB funding in order to free Utah from NCLB requirements. State Representative Margaret Dayton's bill to let state education law supersede federal law unanimously passed the House, is expected to pass the Senate, and has a good shot of being signed by the governor. Utah wants to use its own definitions for accountability, and it rejects NCLB rules that label a school failing if one subgroup is failing. At stake is $116 million in federal aid, which Utah is likely to lose. But Dayton hopes that "by living the spirit of the law we won't be jeopardizing our (federal) funding if we don't live the letter of the law." This coincides with a new report by the National Conference of State Legislatures that presses for the loosening of federal restrictions on states as well as other statutory changes. Many states are watching carefully to see how the administration handles this defiance. Recent events in New York City and North Dakota suggest that the Bush team will probably blink first. Stay tuned.
"Report faults Bush education initiative," by Sam Dillon, New York Times, February 24, 2005 (registration required)
"Utah set to reject No Child Left Behind," by George Archibald, The Washington Times, February 23, 2005
"State legislatures seek changes in No Child mandates," by Christopher Smith, The Salt Lake Tribune, February 23, 2005
"No child law faces fight," by Kim Cobb, Houston Chronicle, February 22, 2005