Cass Ballenger: “Mike Ward, North Carolina Chief School Official said before the Committee, we wanted Ed Flex as soon as possible. This…”

“Mike Ward, North Carolina Chief School Official said before the Committee, we wanted Ed Flex as soon as possible. This postpones it. As a former county commissioner, I was able to see the actual effect of federal funding of local education along with the rules and regulations that tell you what you have to do and how you have to do it. One size fits all--like it or not. Same for my poorest or richest schools. Now we have a chance to free local schools from the restrictions and red tape that go with not only federal but also state monies. Let's keep it simple and Ed Flex does that. Twelve states are currently able to waive certain federal education regulations, giving schools within these states the ability to use federal education funds to support innovative, comprehensive school improvement measures. I feel that it is imperative that we give all 50 states such waivers--including my state of North Carolina--so that students all across America may benefit from locally-designed school improvements. Only approximately six percent of the funds needed to educate our K-12 students are provided by the federal government. However, countless regulations and requirements are tied to the use of these funds. Again, the education environment in each state and local school district is different, so why should the federal government operate under the assumption that one set of universal program requirements fits all circumstances?”