While State Superintendent John Barge awaits an answer regarding Georgia’s petition for a waiver from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Cherokee County School District officials weighed in with their support.
In September, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-east Cobb) and Barge personally delivered the state’s waiver request and an alternative accountability plan, known as the College and Career Ready Performance Index, to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
At the 2011 annual conference of the Georgia School Boards Association and Georgia School Superintendents Association, Barge said he expects to know by the end of December whether Duncan will grant the state the requested waiver, including a waiver for the Adequate Yearly Progress requirement.
The state department has been working on CCRPI for the past 18 months.
“We are thankful the state has taken this opportunity,” said Ken Owen, CCSD director of school improvement, adding that Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo and the school board have said for 10 years that NCLB has had many issues.
