ST. PAUL – As the federal government debates renewal of the so-called “No Child Left Behind” education program, Minnesota House Education Committee today approved a plan to opt out of the program no matter what the federal government chooses to do. 

“This is about preserving local control and preventing the federal government from lording over local classrooms,” said state Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington. “Today, Democrats and Republicans agreed that Minnesota parents and Minnesota teachers know best how to provide our children the best possible education.”

Garofalo authored the opt-out plan as an amendment to an omnibus education bill, both of which passed with bipartisan support.

The No Child Left Behind law has been under local criticism since its inception in 2002 because of its unfunded costs, rigid mandates and unfair portrayal of many successful schools as failing.  Garofalo and other local control advocates criticized the programs one-size-fits-all approach as impractical given the vast differences among schools.

“Minnesota is an education leader because we let those closest to the classroom guide our students’ learning. If anything, we should be enhancing local control, not trying to force every school into something a bureaucrat a thousand miles away thinks is a good idea. It’s a bad idea no matter if it’s from President Bush, President Clinton or President Obama. I’m very glad that Democrats and Republicans agree that it’s time to restore local control to our schools,” Garofalo said.