WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

The head of Chicago Public Schools is hoping Illinois can also get a federal waiver from the No Child Left Behind Act. On Thursday President Barack Obama freed 10 states from this education law, including Indiana.CPS CEO Jean-Claude Brizard said the law is too rigid."

No Child Left Behind was created to improve national standards for academic achievement and accountability in schools. But almost a decade in, school districts in Illinois and around the country were struggling to meet standards set by the act.

Illinois is down to just reading and arithmetic.    Writing skills will no longer be tested during the state's standardized exams for high school juniors every spring. The Chicago Tribune reports that eliminating the writing exams will save about $2.4 million amid the state's bud