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The education publication Education Week is reporting that eight major civil rights groups have written a letter to US Education Secretary Arne Duncan asking him to reject a request made by LAUSD and several other local school districts to give them a waiver from some of the key provision of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has been a key proponent of the so-called “district waiver,” which he says would allow LAUSD to implement a school accountability plan that’s better than the current one required by NCLB and would also free up roughly $80 million in federal funding currently earmarked for tutoring and transportation.

Signed by the Education Trust, Democrats for Education Reform, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and other groups, the letter argues that putting districts in charge of their own accountability systems — rather than states, which traditionally oversee local school districts — would set a dangerous precedent that theoretically could reduce pressure on districts to improve education results for low-income, minority, and other disadvantaged students.

Similar concerns have also been raised by state education chiefs and right-leaning think tanks.  It’s unclear what if any effect the letter will have on the Obama education team making the decision.We’ll let you know what if any response we get to the news from LAUSD.

Previous posts: New Concerns About LAUSD “Waiver”; District Waivers Worry State Education Chiefs;