Getting Out of NCLB - Why Bother? Plus, Liberals for NCLB (NCLB News)

While the NEA may seem to be moving away from its efforts to overturn NCLB (see Best of the Week), yet another drizzle of likely ill-fated efforts to bypass NCLB are coming down in places like VA and CT:

Va. Educators Seek 'No Child' Waiver (Washington Post)
School chiefs seek waiver from No Child Left Behind (The Free Lance-Star)
State schools snub No Child Left Behind Act on two fronts (Virginian Pilot)
State Seeks To Limit Student Testing (Hartford Courant)
State seeks exemption from federal school law (Boston Globe)
Officials: Va. shouldn't duck school standards (Hampton Roads Daily Press)
Dakota to appeal NCLB status (Freeport Journal Standard)

At the same time, there's no shortage of creative ideas about avoiding NCLB and how to justify doing so:

Four More Years—of Resistance (Rethinking Schools)
Getting out of "No Child Left Behind" (KXMA)
Try changing an unjust law ... by breaking it (Tucson Citizen)

Meanwhile: Colo. District Opts Out of NAEP, Despite Aid Forfeiture (Education Week).

I’m still not at all sure it’s worth the effort to get out of NCLB, given the weakness of some of its key provisions, poor implementation assistance/enforcement from the USDE, and creative avoidance at the state and local levels:

NCLB's transfer provisions stymied, GAO report says Education Week
Education board votes to loosen some teaching standards Philadelphia Inquirer
Alabama Teachers Rank High among Highly Qualified WHNT
Under pressure, teachers become 'highly qualified' MLive.com
Complaint Ends Confusion about Highly Qualified Special Ed Teachers WrightsLaw
‘Supplemental Services’: A Provider Responds Education Week
More Montana schools meeting federal standards Billings Gazette

Still, at least some good folks seem to be working on making the law work:

Focus is on struggling schools The Miami Herald
Planning, Seminars Lay Ground for NCLB Education World
No Educator Left Behind: Pre-School Help Education World
District responds to low No Child Left Behind scores Great Falls Tribune
Coffee schools staff, students work hard to meet federal ... Tullahoma.net
Schools working to close minority achievement gap Muskegon Chronicle

And not everyone – not even every liberal – is set against NCLB or focusing on student achievement, including Mother Jones and former Urban League CEO Hugh Price:

No Hysteria Left Behind MoJo via Eduwonk
Winning Hearts and Minds Education Week