For those paying attention to the increasing intrusion and overreach by the federal government into education, the following link should really set your hair on fire:

Hold the Turkey: Federal Government Releases Massive Regulatory Agenda

The following quote is pulled from the section entitled, ““Phasing out” State Authority for Special Education”:

The Secretary will amend the regulations governing title I, part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA), to phase out the authority of States to define modified academic achievement standards and develop alternate assessments based on those modified academic achievement standards in order to satisfy ESEA accountability requirements.

The NCLB waivers which lead to ESEA waivers, when boiled down, are being used by the federal government to control the states on education.

The NCLB waivers were what (illegally) bound states to Common Core.

ESEA waivers followed suit and have been deemed unconstitutional.

I have it on good authority that NC’s Superintendent intends to push for the ‘fast track’ the re-authorization of North Carolina’s ESEA waiver.

The deadline of which is January 2015. With only one State Board of Education meeting between now and then, it looks like Dr. Atkinson hopes to just ram this thing through.

The choice seems to be that NC either gives up the ESEA waiver and be subject to NCLB sanctions or give the state will have to give up our Title One money.

Either way, the Fed is still lording over North Carolina. Either way, say  ‘Bye-Bye’ more of our state’s sovereignty.

Related Reads:

Waiver Watch: Let the Renewal Games Begin