Dear Colleague:

This is a busy time for America's schools. I hope you have had a successful            and rewarding year. You are in the midst of closing out a school year            with graduations and celebrations. Hopefully, you are taking a little            time to appreciate the many successes our schools have achieved. These            successes are hard fought and they reflect positively upon your leadership            and the effectiveness of your dedicated team.

Without question, you are also keenly aware of the complex plans that            are needed to prepare for next year. Because of the enormity of the            new law, No Child Left Behind, we will embark together on a school year            in September like no other school year. The impact of the changes in            this law will be dramatic in our schools. Together, we will begin to            fundamentally change the culture of American public education. As a            former superintendent, I truly understand that this is a hectic time            and that you are concerned about finalizing plans for the upcoming school            year.

I am also aware that you may have a high level of anxiety about how            things will ultimately play out as this law is implemented. All of the            answers and details are not yet known. This process will not always            be tidy. But we must not forget that the principles of this new law            are right for our children and together we will see to it that they            are imbedded into our educational culture through an effective implementation.

Our guiding principle in implementing No Child Left Behind is to regulate            only when it is required by law or absolutely necessary; when regulations            are not required, yet direction is needed, we will issue guidance on            specific programs because non-regulatory guidance tends to provide States            and local school systems with greater flexibility. No Child Left Behind            was signed into law on January 8. At that time, the clock began to tick            with regard to the regulatory process. The law prescribes a process            and timeline that I must uphold. This timeline will not allow the Department            to issue final guidelines and regulations until late August, at best.            This regulatory process is too slow for your needs in preparing for            the next school year. So I have directed my staff to prepare a series            of "current thinking" letters that you will receive over the            next few weeks. While these can not be official in nature, they can            give you some sense of how to conduct your plans on the major issues            so that you do not lose the valuable time needed over the summer to            begin making the changes that will be required.

You can expect these letters to arrive upon this schedule:

|Supplemental Services/Public School Choice | Mid-June
|------------------------------------------ | --------
|Adequate Yearly Progress                   | Mid-July

The work on the guidance documents is proceeding rapidly and we have            already provided non-regulatory guidance on the following programs or            issues: Reading First, Early Reading First, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, just to name a few. Next            week, the Department will add to that list as it issues guidance on            teacher quality.

In some cases, however, general guidance documents are not appropriate            and regulations are necessary. In particular, No Child Left Behind requires            the Department to develop, through a "negotiated rulemaking"            process, regulations for standards and assessments required under Title            I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as it was revised by            No Child Left Behind. We carried out this negotiated rulemaking during            the second and third weeks of March; we assembled a panel of State and            local officials, school principals, teachers, parents, and representatives            of students as well as the business community. In my opinion, this process            was a great success. The negotiators reached consensus on such important            issues as the requirement for inclusion of all students in State assessments,            and the importance of aligning tests with the State standards. The Department            published these regulations, reflecting the consensus that was reached            through regulatory negotiation, in the Federal Register on May 6 in            proposed form. After consideration of all the public comments, and making            any revisions to the regulations that are appropriate, we will publish            these regulations in the Federal Register as final regulations, at which            time they will legally take effect. We anticipate that this will occur            by early August.
          I have committed the Department to make the adoption of guidance and            regulations as inclusive as possible. In January, I had the privilege            to meet with chief State school officers at historic Mount Vernon to            listen to their concerns and discuss our plans to work as partners in            implementing the new law. That meeting was followed these past months            with meetings with superintendents and with representatives of the Governors.            Throughout the spring, the Department has also met with business and            community groups from around the country to obtain their input as well.            The Department of Education has united to, first, listen to and consider            the perspectives of State and local school systems, teachers, and parents,            and second, adopt sound implementation strategies that honor State and            local flexibility to the extent permitted by law. We have communicated            continually with governors, school superintendents, teachers, parents,            and the general public on how to ensure that we translate the vision            of No Child Left Behind into coherent and supportive policies and programs.            We have convened several leadership academies with State officials and            the leaders of big city districts and are planning more such forums            in the future. We appreciate in advance all the work you will be doing            to make No Child Left Behind a reality. There is no better cause than            ensuring that every single child is achieving well.

The President and the Congress have given us a powerful new law to            help our nation's children fulfill their dreams and their potential.            If it were easy, it would have been done. This isn't easy, but I know            that we are up to the task. You have my commitment to work with you            to insure the effective implementation of No Child Left Behind. The            opportunity for us is historic.

Sincerely,

/s/

Rod Paige

|Last Modified: 09/15/2004
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