Continuing a push for an education policy that respects the uniqueness and variety of Alaska’s classrooms, U.S. Senator Mark Begich is urging the State of Alaska to apply for a waiver to the burdensome and broken No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Begich’s call is made in a letter to Gov. Sean Parnell and follows an announcement Friday by President Obama that the U.S. Department of Education will be issuing waivers from key provisions of the NCLB Act in exchange for state-led education reform plans.

“I encourage the State of Alaska to embrace our diverse classrooms and empower our communities to educate their kids by developing an education plan that returns local control and recognizes the unique needs of Alaska’s classrooms, students and teachers,” Begich said. “The one size fits all No Child Left Behind Act doesn’t fit Alaska’s classrooms and ignores the differences between an XTRATUF clad classroom in Ketchikan and a sandal clad classroom in Florida.”

Sen. Begich’s letter encourages Gov. Parnell to pursue waivers to bring much-needed regulatory relief to Alaska’s schools and offers assistance in dealing with the Obama administration.

“By allowing Alaska to play a more integral role in improving struggling schools and rewarding those who are high-achieving, NCLB waivers are an important step toward returning local control,” Begich states in his letter. “As your administration considers applying for this regulatory relief, I am ready to assist you in explaining to the Obama administration the unique challenges Alaska’s schools face, and why unique solutions will be required to deliver a quality, meaningful education to Alaska’s students.”

The letter to Governor Parnell is attached to this email and can be found on Sen. Begich’s Scribd page.

Source: Office of Senator Begich