10 Quotes by Susan Aspey

We believe very strongly in these children and we're not granting waivers without the data to back it up,

State and local officials determine staffing needs. We don't dictate hiring decisions.

Unfortunately, today's action doesn't bring the state any closer to closing its achievement gap, which is among the largest in the nation. From the day she walked in the door, Secretary Spellings has worked diligently to listen and respond to states' needs and concerns, and she has kept her word to help states implement No Child Left Behind in a workable, common-sense way.

We specifically pushed for all 50 states to participate in (the national test) to shed some light on state assessments.

This is the first time for everyone. There are going to be some growing pains.

This is unprecedented. In recent memory, we have never seen this number of displaced schoolchildren.

A core principle of No Child Left Behind is annual testing in grades three through eight -- so that we know how students are doing,

It's important to note that is not Waiver City. No one has gotten a waiver yet, and these schools will have to show that they did not meet the state standards because of this disaster and these displaced students.

The guidance is simply that guidance. Schools can choose to use the model survey or not, it's their choice.