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January 7, 2008
NCLB turns 6 and everyone has something to sayOdds are there won't be too many 'Happy Birthday' songs, cakes and balloons around the country Tuesday when No Child Left Behind turns 6. Although there is this pre-birthday surprise courtesy of a federal appeals court regarding NCLB compliance and funding.
And the law's anniversary is prompting the expected speeches, statements and op-eds from President Bush to leading lawmakers like Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative George Miller (D-CA). Taken together one does not discern a great sense of urgency among Washington politicians to complete NCLB's reauthorization in 2008. You already know where BoardBuzz stands on that: The law is broken and waiting two or three years to make the many needed improvements put forward by NSBA is a disservice to students and schools.
Senator Kennedy prescribes his remedies for a new law in today's Washington Post. Among them: growth models, multiple measures, teacher quality improvements and supports, tackling the high school dropout rate and last but certainly not least, adequate funding -- where the gulf between Democrats and Republicans is as wide as the Atlantic.
President Bush marked the occasion today in Chicago, again envoking the threat of a veto should Congress send him a bill that he thinks takes a step backward on accountability.
And so now is the time for Congress to reauthorize it. I'm sure a lot of people look around the country and say it's impossible for Congress and the President to work together. I strongly disagree. We worked together to get the bill written in the first place, and I believe we can work together to get it reauthorized. If it's not reauthorized, then I've instructed our Secretary to move forward on some reforms or to analyze reforms that she can do through the administrative process. If Congress passes a bill that weakens the accountability system in the No Child Left Behind Act, I will strongly oppose it and veto it, because the act will continue on -- in other words, this act isn't expiring, it just needs to be reauthorized.
His speech elicited a response from Rep. Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee: “Six years after No Child Left Behind was first enacted, the original goal of the law remains more important than ever: To provide every child with the opportunity to get a good education. I am committed to passing legislation that will make No Child Left Behind fair and flexible while retaining the law’s strong focus on accountability.”
Posted January 7, 2008 2:19 PM | No Child Left Behind
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