By: Giulia Frasca, Esq<\/a>., Littman Krooks LLP<\/p>\n On August 8, 2011 President Obama directed the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to \u201cmove forward with plans to provide flexibility to states,\u201d which are looking for greater relief under the No Child Left Behind law.\u00a0 The U.S. Department of Education has many options available to provide flexibility to states, including waivers of statutory and regulatory provisions as well as amendments to state accountability plans.\u00a0 The Federal government\u2019s decision to offer regulatory flexibility from some provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), most recently amended in 2002 by the No Child Left Behind Act, has been criticized for failing to address the needs of at-risk students.\u00a0 The Education Trust, an education advocacy group, released a report called \u201cA Step Forward or A Step Back?\u00a0 State Accountability in the Waiver Era<\/a>.\u201d This article discusses the four major problems with the waivers:<\/p>\n