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| Date: | October 17, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR CARLA NELSON DISCUSSES WAIVER WITH EDUCATION COMMISSIONER & COMMITTEE MEMBERS |
Rochester- Senate Education Committee Vice Chair Senator Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) met with Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius Monday, October 17 to discuss Minnesota’s waiver with members of the Education Committee. Senator Nelson gave the following statement after the meeting.
“Today’s meeting with Commissioner Cassellius and my fellow Education Committee members to discuss Minnesota’s waiver for No Child Left Behind was constructive. As a former special educator, I know that it is unrealistic to believe that every child will be performing at grade level. However, we have 21st century tools that give us the chance to measure individual student growth. The replacement for NCLB should be such a growth model, measuring individual student growth,” said Senator Nelson. “I support efforts that detach Minnesota from the current, antiquated law that measures cohort to cohort rather than individual student growth.”
“That being said, we should not rely on waivers as a way to bypass legislation. Waivers replace legislative authority with administrative authority and if used inappropriately, I am concerned the administration is taking on powers delegated to the legislature. While I agree with many of Secretary Arne Duncan’s recommendations for school reform, we must not circumvent the legislative process and citizen debate via waivers,” concluded Senator Nelson. “It is of greatest importance that our elected congressional leaders pass the new replacement for NCLB and that they do it with all urgency.”
