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FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CHARLIE CRIST

M E M O R A N D U M

District Superintendents

No Child Left Behind Act Weekly Updates

DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

“On January 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

This new law embodies his education reform plan and is the most sweeping reform of the

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965. It redefines the

federal government’s role in kindergarten-through-grade 12 education. The law is designed to

close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority students and their peers and will

change the culture of America’s schools so that they define their success in terms of student

achievement and invest in the achievement of every child. It is based on four basic principles:

stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for

parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work.” –USDE-

At your Florida Department of Education, for the past two months we have been working to

clearly interpret and decipher the entire 1200 page document, as well as having daily discussions

with staff at USDE in Washington. During the HR1 presentation at the FADSS Conference in

early March, information was shared on the status of progress thus far. In an effort to continue to

keep you informed, we will be posting weekly updates on the DOE website

(http://www.firn.edu/doe/), as well as using the newly-developed paperless email system (also shared

with you at the same conference) to notify superintendents and principals of the latest breaking

Incidentally, the Department’s goal is that beginning in July 2002, hard copy communication

with the districts will

and this paperless system will be our

communications. Therefore, it is

very important

that you register as soon as possible.

Instructions for subscribing to this new system were sent out to all superintendents earlier this

month and are scheduled for mailing to principals at the end of this week.

Should you have

District Superintendents

further questions regarding the paperless email system, please contact Dawn Cales via e-mail at

calesd@mail.doe.state.fl.us or via phone at 850/487-6291.

Additionally, we need your help in spreading the word regarding the posting of the weekly

updates. Your staff, parents and the general public can also access these updates by going to the

DOE web site and clicking on

Official Communications

. At this time, please forward this memo

to the principals in your districts, and in turn ask them to distribute it to all persons at their school

sites and all parents of their students.

Another exciting activity that you will not want to miss is the upcoming “No Child Left Behind”

Teleconference.

Secretary of Education Jim Horne, Commissioner of Education Charlie Crist,

and I will participate in this one-hour briefing of the most current information from our delegates

in Washington. Currently scheduled for May 2, 2002, at 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. via WFSU, the

teleconference will also provide a time for questions and answers. More details will be

disseminated as they are confirmed.

We genuinely look forward to implementing this innovative legislation and to working with each

of you in the upcoming months. Together, we can profoundly and positively impact the students

of our great state.