Struggle Between SES Providers and School Districts Muted By USDE Turnaround on In-House Tutoring

This weekend's NYT piece on the SES requirement (Tutor Program Offered by Law Is Going Unused) does a decent job of touching the main issues and detailing just how little progress has been made in terms of serving kids -- but understates both the ferocity of the struggle between providers and districts over tutoring and the impact of the USDE's turnaround allowing district to provide their own tutoring.

The NCLB tutoring requirement pits districts and providers against each other, ideologically, practically, and financially, and the main players usually don't hesitate to express their frustrations towards each other -- even more so than the muted comments in Susan Saulny's article. Only the last year's waiver/pilot program (Boston, NYC, and Chicago) has eased the pressure. Without the USDE pushing for more private tutoring, there isn't any real public advocate pushing on the issue.