Tennessee seeks waiver from No Child Left Behind, Gov. Haslam says

Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Haslam says Tennessee is seeking a waiver to use its revamped education standards to measure schools instead of those mandated by No Child Left Behind.

The Republican governor and state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman told reporters in a conference call today that the federal standards no longer serve the interest of education reform in Tennessee.

Haslam said he once preferred overhauling No Child Left Behind, "but indications out of Washington are that that doesn't seem likely anytime soon."

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has warned that 82 percent of U.S. schools could be labeled failures next year if the federal regulations aren't changed.

Haslam also released results today that show only about half of Tennessee schools made "annual yearly progress," or AYP, under No Child Left Behind.

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