Hillary's Statement on the Bush Administration's Announcement of More Flexibility Within No Child Left Behind

Today the Bush Administration took a step forward in addressing the systemic problems in No Child Left Behind through a pilot that will allow 10 states to create more nuanced systems of school accountability. While a small pilot, this is a long overdue step in the right direction. By allowing states to differentiate between schools that need modest improvements and those that are chronically failing, this pilot will provide some much-needed flexibility.

This step, however, should be just the beginning. No Child Left Behind is a failed policy that needs fundamental overhaul - not tinkering around the edges. The one-size-fits-all approach of NCLB is simply not working, and today's announcement signals that the Bush Administration is beginning to acknowledge that. As President, I will work with Congress to end the No Child Left Behind Act, and put in its place a more sensible law that stops micromanaging our schools from the federal level and provides real support to struggling schools.