ARDMORE, OK - President Obama announced today he will waive a federal law regarding school systems and their performance in ten states. Oklahoma is one of them.

President Obama said, "Today I am pleased to announce we are giving ten states, the first ten states, the green light to continue making the reform that are best for them."

Starting this fall, Oklahoma will not have to meet the 2014 deadline of 100 percent proficiency in math and reading for students.

"Each of these states have set higher benchmarks for student achievement," President Obama said. "They have come up with ways to evaluate teachers fairly, based on more than just a set of test scores."

Ardmore Schools Superintendent Sonny Bates said he believes the law was written with good intentions but put too much pressure on teachers to only "teach to the test".

"It really put us in a box as to we had to pass tests, make benchmarks so you had to cut a lot of the fluff out of education in order to be able to make the benchmarks," Bates said.

A statement from the White House press office said President Obama believes No Child Left Behind has a "one size fits all" outlook and Bates agrees a more state and community tailored approach would work better.

"In every community you have that little difference that makes Ardmore, Ardmore or Durant, Durant and you have to look at your group of kids." Bates said.

The ten states that were granted the no child left behind waiver include Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee and will still be tested each year and required to meet certain standards.

"There will still be stress, not stress, but accountability as far as benchmarking but there will also be time to focus on life skills," Bates said.

White House officials said Texas did not apply for a waiver.

New Mexico is the only state that applied but wasn't granted freedom from no child left behind.