Utah right to challenge education mandate

The Utah Legislature, with passage of its own plan to leave no child behind, has shown how democracy works. The federal government should applaud.

States, historically, have provided the laboratory for the testing of innovative solutions. The Bush administration's No Child Left Behind, however, was one of those top-down "government-knows-best" programs.

Setting aside the important states' rights issue and the flaws in the program, it goes contrary to a basic principle in dealing with people: that which is imposed is opposed.

Utah's Legislature was right in resisting the intrusive regulations that thwart the flexibility and creativity critically needed to restructure education. The NCLB requirements only add more needless regulations that permeate the educational bureaucracy. NCLB impedes our nation's ability to compete with other countries that are building from scratch with the full support of their government.

Each new administration rushes to leave its print by launching a "new initiative" such as NCLB. States, such as Utah, end up losing money in startup costs necessary to comply with each new initiative. The cost of retooling and then dismantling what works just to chase money is wasteful and irresponsible. This administration has outdone all others with "accountability" requirements that amount to no more than a paper chase and snipe hunt.

It assumes that only "highly qualified" teachers, with extensive knowledge about a specific subject, can teach students. It neglects the importance of effective teaching skills that create an environment where learning takes place. It fails to consider that in today's wireless world a student can access timely information from any part of the world, and eliminate the 10-pound, outdated textbooks now weakening the backs of our children.

Back to the snipe hunt. This administration's "commitment to closing the achievement gap" for minorities is more political posturing because it has failed to enforce existing federal laws to assure minorities have equal access to all programs and activities where federal programs are involved.

Minorities don't need more laws to narrow the gap — just enforce the ones on the books. They need equal opportunity and the same high expectations we should have for all students. Our nation needs to focus on the "achievement gap" now widening between the United States and other nations rather than on the "minority achievement gap" which, in the end, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Everyone wants to study the minority dropout rate. Four years ago the state Legislature spent $150,000 to do a dropout study that is buried on some bookshelf. Now some are thinking of launching another dropout study.