Superintendent Johnson statement regarding Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility 

I am extremely pleased that Minnesota is among the 10 states selected to receive Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility. We applaud President Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Minnesota Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius for their advocacy and leadership in moving toward a meaningful system of school improvement accountability.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, some Minneapolis schools have been mislabeled as failures and unfairly sanctioned. This flexibility will eliminate some of the most arbitrary measures of the current law that have burdened schools throughout the state.

Minneapolis Public Schools has a strong strategic plan in place to lead accountability efforts and reform strategies that address the specific needs of struggling schools and students in Minneapolis. I am pleased that beginning in the fall of 2012, MPS will no longer face the same prescriptive actions identified under No Child Left Behind.

MPS will continue to review the impact that the ESEA flexibility will have on our schools and programs, like professional development, school choice and Supplemental Education Services (SES). Current SES services in Minneapolis public schools will continue through the end of the school year. MPS remains committed to addressing permanent changes to SES services and providing tutoring supports for students in the future.

Bernadeia H. Johnson
Superintendent of Schools