Washington received a waiver Friday allowing it to join more than half the country in avoiding major parts of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law. But not Oregon. At least not yet.
Oregon education officials applied for a waiver almost six months ago. They said at the time that an approval could take months. And officials say they remain optimistic that the word will come in time for the new school year.
The governor’s education policy advisor, Ben Cannon, said they’re very close.
"Our sense is that we’re 99 percent of the way there," Cannon said. "We’re on the one yard line, if you will."
Cannon said that if the state starts to lose confidence, the governor’s office will tell schools to get ready for another year under No Child Left Behind.
Cannon said the waiver discussions are focused on "technical details" around how Oregon identifies low-performing schools.
Operating under the waiver would give Oregon more flexibility in how federal money can be used in those schools.
Idaho and eight other states are in the same boat as Oregon. They’ve applied for waivers, but are still waiting for them to be approved.
| No Child Left Behind Waiver Status, By State | ||
| Waiver granted | Seeking waiver | Not seeking waiver |
