No Educator Left Behind is a series providing answers from the U.S. Department of Education to questions about the federal No Child Left Behind Act and how it will affect educators. If you have a question about No Child Left Behind, send an e-mail to Ellen Delisio, and we will submit your question to the Department of Education.

Question:

What is the unsafe school choice option in the No Child Left Behind Act? How does it help teachers do their jobs better?

U.S. Department of Education:

The objective of the unsafe schools choice option is to ensure that all students are educated in a safe environment. This new provision states that students in unsafe situations will be allowed to transfer to safer public schools. Transfers must be permitted for either of two reasons: a school is determined to be "persistently dangerous" or a student becomes the victim of a violent crime at school.

Whenever possible, school districts or local education agencies (LEAs) should allow students to transfer to schools that have not been identified as in need of school improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. The LEA also is encouraged to take into account the needs and preferences of the affected students and parents.

Read previous questions and answers in our No Educator Left Behind archive.