"Since taking office, I have made a point of reaching out to state education leaders, and at every possible opportunity have signaled that I will be flexible and work with states to implement No Child Left Behind. But I will not do so at children's expense.

"Education decisions are made at the local level, and rightly so. But the federal government also plays an important role by encouraging states to set high standards and stick with them—for all children, not just some. States across the nation who have embraced No Child Left Behind have shown progress: student achievement is rising and the achievement gap is closing. The same could be true in Utah, whose achievement gap between Hispanics and their peers is the third largest in the nation and has not improved significantly in over a decade.

"Turning back the clock and returning to the pre-NCLB days of fuzzy accountability and hiding children in averages will do nothing to help the students who are currently enrolled in Utah's schools."

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