Arne Duncan, secretary of the Department of Education, said in a conference call yesterday that the current iteration of the bill is "too one-size-fits-all," according to Bloomberg, arguing that as it stands, the law "has created dozens of ways for schools to fail, but very few ways for schools to succeed."

 

"We need to fix this law now," he said. "We want to create a new law that is fair, flexible and focused on the schools and students most at risk."

 

Duncan said that 82 percent of U.S. public schools public schools were currently in jeopardy of failing to meet their education targets, according to the Washington Post.

 

Under the law as it currently stands, schools are graded on a pass-fail scale based on the results of standardized tests administered to students. Failing schools - many of which serve low-income communities - are punished, and often shut down altogether or turned over to a charter operator or private firm.