As the February deadline approaches for states to submit No Child Left Behind waiver applications to the U.S. Department of Education, some states have decided to reject the offer or delay applications, citing the expense of waiver requirements. The DOE announced in September 2011 it would waive some of the law’s requirements for states adopting policies the Obama administration prefers. The federal NCLB law grants the DOE waiver authority, but not authority to require certain policies in exchange. “We view the entire ‘wavier’ discussion as a replacement option for existing law,” said Dennis Parman, Montana’s deputy superintendent. “There certainly are states that are in a better position to seek a waiver because they have elements already underway or are in a place that would make transitioning a reasonable lift. Montana is not one of those states.” Initially, 39 states and DC said they would request waivers, and eleven have done so. To receive a waiver, the DOE stipulated, states...