Response to “How to Rescue Education Reform”

In “How to Rescue Education Reform” (NY Times 12/5/11), Rick Hess and Linda Darling-Hammond call on all sides to focus on what the federal government can do well, and to leave the rest to educational leaders at the state and local level. What the federal government does well is to promote a level playing field and equitable learning opportunities for all students. What it does poorly is to nurture innovation.   

The problems of compliance-driven industrial schools can’t be fixed with more factory-era thinking. Time and again, federal efforts to encourage state and local innovation are riddled with requirements that lock states and districts into tinkering with the status quo. Most recently, states called on the U.S. Department of Education to give them the lead in developing and implementing innovative reforms, by granting waivers from stifling NCLB mandates. U.S. Ed responded by announcing that it would grant waivers, but only to states that are prepared to comply with the new Race to the Top program regulations. Substituting one set of rules for another is not the way to unleash innovation. 

Secretary Duncan is committed to being “tight on the goals but loose on the means of achieving them.” We hope that he will use these waivers to provide as much flexibility for innovation as possible, while maintaining meaningful accountability for improving student outcomes and closing achievement gaps.