At Least 27 States Ditching No Child Left Behind

It’s been a week since Barack Obama offered to let states out of No Child Left Behind's strictest provisions, and states are jumping to take him up on it. At least 27 states have already told the administration they’re opting out, and most of the rest are still considering it, MSNBC reports. To earn a waiver states must adopt higher standards in some areas than the law requires, but most have already done so.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan says he’s actively encouraging states to opt out. “It’s far too punitive, far too prescriptive,” he explained. It “led to a narrowing of the curriculum. None of those things are good for children.” In a sign of just how unpopular the 2002 law is, few critics of Obama’s move to kill it have emerged; in a January poll, 53% said No Child needed “major revisions,” while another 21% wanted it eliminated entirely. (More No Child Left Behind stories.)