Why Connecticut Sued the Federal Government over No Child Left Behind

In April 2005, Connecticut attorney general Richard Blumenthal filed the first lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education over the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In this essay, Attorney General Blumenthal presents Connecticut’s reasons for legally challenging NCLB. He argues that prior to ratification of the act, Connecticut had been nationally recognized for its assessment program aimed at closing the achievement gap and increasing accountability. NCLB mandates that require testing at all grade levels would force Connecticut to replace its formative assessments with summative assessments and divert their limited educational funds from supplementary educational programs to the expansion of the state’s testing office. Blumenthal argues that NCLB’s unfunded testing mandates are illegal and may prove detrimental to Connecticut students’ academic achievement. While he strongly supports the goals of NCLB, Blumenthal concludes that if schools are to achieve those goals, it is imperative that the federal government allow for flexibility and assume financial responsibility for implementation of NCLB.

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Richard Blumenthal will begin serving his fifth term as attorney general for the State of Connecticut in January 2007. Blumenthal served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987, and in the Connecticut State Senate from 1987 to 1990.