8.23.2005
State Is First to Sue Over 'No Child Left Behind' Law (CNN.com)
Monday, August 22, 2005; Posted: 1:56 p.m. EDT (17:56 GMT)
HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- Connecticut filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging President Bush's No Child Left Behind school reform law because, it says, no money is provided to cover expensive testing and required programs.
The state is the first to go to court over the law.
"The goals of the No Child Left Behind Act are laudable," said the state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal. "Indeed, Connecticut has pursued these goals for decades, but the federal government has failed in implementing them."
Blumenthal announced plans for the lawsuit this spring, after the federal government repeatedly refused to waive some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind. The law aims to have every student in public schools proficient in reading and math by 2014.
Mandatory annual testing has been Connecticut's chief complaint. The state, which has been administering its own mastery test for 20 years, wants to continue testing every other year.
"This mindless rigidity harms our taxpayers, but most of all our children," Blumenthal said.
(More ... CNN.com - State is first to sue over 'No Child Left Behind' law - Aug 22, 2005) ¶ 18:22
HARTFORD, Connecticut (AP) -- Connecticut filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging President Bush's No Child Left Behind school reform law because, it says, no money is provided to cover expensive testing and required programs.
The state is the first to go to court over the law.
"The goals of the No Child Left Behind Act are laudable," said the state's attorney general, Richard Blumenthal. "Indeed, Connecticut has pursued these goals for decades, but the federal government has failed in implementing them."
Blumenthal announced plans for the lawsuit this spring, after the federal government repeatedly refused to waive some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind. The law aims to have every student in public schools proficient in reading and math by 2014.
Mandatory annual testing has been Connecticut's chief complaint. The state, which has been administering its own mastery test for 20 years, wants to continue testing every other year.
"This mindless rigidity harms our taxpayers, but most of all our children," Blumenthal said.
(More ... CNN.com - State is first to sue over 'No Child Left Behind' law - Aug 22, 2005) ¶ 18:22
