State’s School Reforms Win Federal Waiver

Connecticut’s sweeping, bipartisan education reform law has helped win the confidence of the U.S. Department of Education.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently visited Hartford for a press conference with Governor Malloy, State Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor, and legislative and Congressional representatives to announce that Connecticut is one of eight states being added to the list of those awarded a waiver from certain portions of the federal No Child Left Behind law.  

The waiver allows a state that hasn’t met federal educational benchmarks—such as Connecticut—to continue making independent policy and spending decisions as long as it enacts certain reforms that satisfy the U.S. Department of Education. 

Education Secretary Duncan acknowledged that, without passage of Connecticut’s education reform bill, the state likely wouldn’t have qualified for the waiver.  

Connecticut’s reforms include many practical steps to fixing our schools, including some of the foundational changes that are proving successful in other states. With the federal NCLB waiver, the state will now have more flexibility to implement those changes.   

Businesses are very hopeful that these reform steps will help equip Connecticut’s young people with the skills they need to meet the challenges of today’s—and tomorrow’s—workforce.