Request for Waiver of Provisions Support Letter 1

Accessible Alternative Version of page 1-2 of the Waiver Support Letters [Note: the preceding link is no longer available]. This document provides text translation of the letter of support from Congresswoman Grace Napolitano regarding the Request for Waiver of Provisions letter [Note: the preceding link is no longer available].

{Letterhead of Grace Napolitano and logo of U.S. Congress}.

CAPITOL OFFICE
1610 LONGWORTH BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515
(202) 225-5256
FAX (202) 225-0027

DISTRICT OFFICE
627 E. TELEGRAPH RD, SUITE 100
SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA 90670
(562) 801-2134
FAX (562) 949-9144

http://www.napolitano.house.gov

NATURAL RESOURCES
Water and Power-Ranking Member

TRANSPORTATON AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Highways and Transit
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
Water Resources and Environment

CONGRESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH CAUCUS
Co-Chair

CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS

Michael Yudin, Acting Assistant Secretary
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

June 8, 2012

Dear Acting Secretary Yudin,

I am writing to respectfully request your full consideration of the State of California's state-defined
waiver application. Under Section 9401 of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, such a
waiver request is explicitly outlined, provided that an individual state describes how the waiver
will "increase the quality of instruction for students; and...improve the academic achievement of
students." The statute also requires a waiver application to explain specific and measurable goals
for each school year, explain how the waiver will help achieve those goals, and describe how
schools will continue to provide assistance to the populations served by the programs for which a
waiver is requested.

The waiver application submitted by the California State Board of Education meets all of these
requirements. It describes the strength of California's existing accountability system and how
the State will use that system to set ambitious goals for schools and hold them accountable for
improvement. Specifically, an approved waiver would remove sometimes impractical targets that
can unfairly label schools as failing; restore a single and transparent system for measuring school
performance; ensure continued accountability for improving the achievement of all groups of
students; and create a process for identifying schools and districts most in need of improvement
and determining the sanctions and interventions needed to improve instruction.

This plan will ensure that the principles of accountability and continued improvement in ESEA
are upheld, without creating new costs that are not economically feasible for the unique
circumstances facing the State.

With this in mind, I respectfully urge the Department of Education to give the application
submitted by the State of California every possible consideration during the review process and
approve the State Board of Education's waiver request. It will provide much-needed fiscal and
administrative relief to our 1,000-plus districts, and a greater focus on what matters most: great
teaching and learning for our 6.2 million students.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. If you have any additional questions please contact Lauren Vargas in my Washington, DC office at 202-225-5256.

Sincerely,

{Signature of Grace Napolitano}.

Grace F. Napolitano
Member of Congress