Obama: Tenn. school a model for reform - calls for overhaul of NCLB

[The Straight Story]

Obama: Tenn. school a model for reform

President Barack Obama on Saturday called on Congress to overhaul the No Child Left Behind legislation this year, arguing that school systems around the country need the flexibility to tailor education programs to each community's needs.

"We need to promote reform that gets results while encouraging communities to figure out what's best for their kids," Obama said in his weekly address. "That why it's so important that Congress replace No Child Left Behind this year - so schools have that flexibility. Reform just can't wait."

In his remarks, Obama talked about Booker T. Washington High, the Memphis, Tenn., school where he spoke on Monday. He lauded the school for transforming its curriculum and culture in just a few short years and raising the graduation rate from half the student body to four-out-of-five students - achievements that helped the school win the 2011 Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, which challenged schools across the nation to demonstrate their commitment to preparing students for college and career.

This year, around 70 percent of Booker T. Washington's students will continue on to pursue higher education - a dramatic increase from just the handful that would go on to college in the past.

"So Booker T. Washington High School is no longer a story about what's gone wrong in education," Obama said. "It's a story about how we can set it right."

http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Obama-Tenn-school-a-model-for-reform-1389647.php