NM left behind of No Child Left Behind waiver

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - New Mexico wanted a break from No Child Left Behind, but when it came to getting a waiver from the strict federal requirements, the state was left behind.

Eleven states asked for leeway and time to prepare and evaluate students and New Mexico was the only one that didn't get the waiver.

By 2014 the feds say schools must be proficient in math and reading.

Many will not make that deadline and that is why the states asked for the waiver to avoid that deadline as long as they come up with something similar.

New Mexico did not get the waiver because the feds say New Mexico did not have adequate college transition standards set up.

They also say under our new current A through F school grading system, New Mexico failed to show how poor kids were doing compared to wealthier kids.

It's the same story when showing how Anglo students compared to minority students.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Education said those issues were the biggest hurdle for the new A through F state grading system that State Secretary of Education Hanna Skandera presented to them.

During a phone interview Thursday U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said all is not lost here.

"New Mexico I think is working extraordinarily hard but just had the longest road to hoe," Duncan said. "We look forward to seeing a successful application approved by us in the not too distance future, I feel very very good about where they are trying to go."

New Mexico is working with the federal government to make changes in order to get the No Child Left Behind waiver.

According to the state education department, New Mexico plans to submit a new application in the next week.