STATES WITH NCLB WAIVERS

Colorado Florida Georgia Indiana Kentucky Massachusetts Minnesota New Jersey Oklahoma Tennessee ously.”

Haslam said individual teachers have told him that, while their own classroom sees large improvements, they face being held responsible for the entire school’s failure.

“It’s affecting morale,” Haslam said. “That’d be demotivating to me if I’m a teacher making real progress and doing a great job yet I’m labeled a failure.”

GEORGIA In Georgia, the plan is to rate schools with a five- administration as a “little hypocritical.”

Election Commission Chairman Mike Walden called the charge “irrelevant.”

“What do they think should happen?” he asked. “That we don’t have our lawyer tomorrow?”

North said he did not expect Clem to recuse him- star system — rather than as passing or failing — to indicate whether a school is making gains.

The state also will use more subjects than just math and reading and more than one standardized test to calculate which schools pass muster.

“It really is taking accountability to the next level,” said state schools Superintendent John Barge. “We can pinpoint with this new system where the shortcomings of a school may be and target those specifically.”

Gov. Nathan Deal said the state needs flexibility to improve student performance.

“We appreciate the cooperation of federal officials as we seek to prepare young Georgians for higher education and the jobs of tomorrow,” he said in a prepared statement.

Not everyone is a fan of the waivers. Republicans in the U.S. House and Senate said Obama is trying to politicize education, calling self, but he did think the vote should be public knowledge.

“I don’t see it as a conflict,” he said. “I just see it as ironic.”

Contact staff writer Cliff Hightower at chightower@ timesfreepress.com or 423-7576480. Follow him at twitter. com/cliffhightower or facebook.com/ hightowertfp.