Last year, we opposed the third grade retention bill in the Kansas legislature. We saw it as an ALEC bill that, like many ALEC bills, looks good at first glance but would fail to solve the problems it sought to address while creating additional harmful consequences. We were accused of failing to support students. Since it was an ALEC bill, North Carolina passed it last session. Here’s how it’s playing out. “These problems have emerged because Read to Achieve is a political rather than educational program. It is a superficial ‘high standards’ measure that produces headlines but diverts money and attention from real solutions. It did not emerge from consultation with North Carolina educators, families and education experts. Instead, legislative leaders copied it from a Florida program that has been heavily promoted by former Florida governor and potential presidential candidate Jeb Bush, as well as by the American Legislative Exchange Council.
If our legislators genuinely want to improve public education in North Carolina, they can do far better than following the lead of those who copy problematic policies from states whose students perform less well overall than North Carolina students. As the General Assembly reconvenes, voters need to let them know that we plan to hold them to legitimate higher standards, ones that draw on practices with strong evidence of effectiveness, respect the judgment of parents and educators and support our children as precious individuals.”
Kansans, just say NO to ALEC.
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/04/30/3823800/politics-driven-read-to-achieve.html?sp=%2F99%2F108%2F#storylink=cpy