Spineless Spellings: SES "Flip" Goes Nationwide -- What About Choice?

Much was made of Secretary Spellings' newfound "spine" over at The Gadfly (and elsewhere), but I'm still not sure that she has anything in mind other than loosening the law up as far and farther as the statute and the press will allow her.

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Sure, only two states got approved to pilot the growth model alternative to AYP last week, but states can already do pretty much do as they will with AYP.

Sure, 9 states might face sanctions over their definitions and implementation of HQT, but I bet they'll squeeze by in an election year.

Just today, the Egypt-bound Spellings issued a letter telling districts that the SES "pilot" program in Virginia would be expanded nationwide in the new year.

She's even considering letting more low-performing districts provide their own SES (currently being piloted in Boston and Chicago), though of course the providers wouldn't be happy with that.

Like the President, who can leak top secret information at will, Secretary Spellings seems to think that she can make NCLB into whatever she wants -- or whatever's most convenient.

UPDATE: "Lawyers [Bolick and Piche] at two advocacy groups that want tougher enforcement of the law’s choice provisions argue that the secretary’s move oversteps legal bounds," according to EdWeek (Choice, SES Would Flip Under Plan).