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Friday, May 20, 2011

No Child Left Behind Revamp Stalls As Obama's Deadline Looms

No Child Left Behind Revamp Stalls As Obama's Deadline Looms

Education Reauthorization: A Law Left Behind?

While Democrats and Republicans mostly agree that a sweeping federal law governing education desperately needs to be overhauled, they are divided on how to do it. As a result, Congress may not finish its education homework by the president's deadline.

Barack Obama called for No Child Left Behind, the 2001 law that set the standards and goals for public education, to be revamped by August. According to a report by the Associated Press, an on-time fix is highly unlikely.

Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said it would be impossible to agree on changes by the deadline. "I've been very, persistently clear that we cannot get this done by summer," he told the AP. "It's just not going to happen."

George W. Bush introduced the law in 2001, pushing it through congress with bipartisan support. But the sailing