This letter to the editor by Orysia Z. W. Dmytrenko, the Deputy Secretary's Regional Representative in Region II, appeared in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York) on April 16, 2007.

When parents get involved in education, education improves. Your editorial plea for more parental participation is spot-on ("Speak up on NCLB," April 2).

This is also why we must not retreat on the No Child Left Behind Act.

NCLB doesn't just call for more parental involvement. It measures school performance and student achievement, so moms and dads are no longer the last to know if their child's school is lagging behind. The law also provides training in proven instructional methods so parents don't have to teach their child twice. Finally, families are given real options, such as free tutoring or the choice to transfer to a different school if theirs is not up to standard.

The ultimate goal of No Child Left Behind is for every child to read and do math at grade level or better. What parent doesn't want this for his or her child?

High standards, accountability and choices are working. The academic data show it. The No Child Left Behind Act deserves to be reauthorized and strengthened by Congress, for the sake of students and parents alike.

Orysia Z. W. Dmytrenko
Deputy Secretary's Regional Representative
Region II
U.S. Department of Education