Feasibility of Pennsylvania's Flexibility Waivers Under NCLB

Governor Tom Corbett is said to have decimated public schools in Pennsylvania, particularly public schools in Philadelphia have suffered considerably because of huge budget cuts while stimulating employee layoffs, and leaving schools underfunded. Despite the educational crises in Pennsylvania, plans for improving education have emerged as policy makers have devised plans under the flexibility waivers of NCLB. Pennsylvania has proudly opted to take advantage of the flexibility and to rather spend time away from the “top down” prescription of the NCLB law and to rather focus on three areas for improving schools.

The three areas to improve schools include ensuring the preparedness of students for careers or college, the development of accountabilities and recognition standards for all schools, and improvements for supporting effective teaching and principals in all classrooms. Taxpayers, students and parents should be aware of the School Performance Profiles (SPPs) as Pennsylvania citizens can access the profile to view a comprehensive overview of their child’s school to determine the quality of the program and examine student performance. The waiver has also eliminated the adequate yearly progress (AYP) for each school.

An evaluation system was available for classroom teachers in 2013-14 and is in use for specialist and principals this 2014-15 schools year. The new system is for evaluating educators on measures of student achievement. Comprehensive resources are for providing professional development to assist teachers, superintendents and principals, and for classroom instruction. Title I schools with large numbers of low-income students receive priorities as to receive federal focus based on measurable objectives. The new educator evaluation system was signed into law by Governor Tom Corbett.

The problem is that the waiver is not feasible as all of the plans for supporting and evaluating teachers and principals prove futile without providing the needed funding. The paradox is like that of a soldier engaged in the military who is commissioned to fight a war without weapons or a means for gaining an advantage, while the commanding officer maintains the same expectations of the soldier as if he were fully armed. Ridicule and contempt occur as when one displays for all to see their defeat. Encouraging others to make decisions and judgments about the soldiers who were injured, or who died from the war is to validate accusations of inadequacy or deficiencies. The waiver set forth by the state has a similar idea as the state’s waiver fails a feasibility study in areas of costs and technicalities. Teachers, principals, and superintendents are all preparing for the fall season but unfortunately, none can truly go with confidence as the state has disarmed its warriors.