No Child Left Behind Bill Passes Senate Committee, But No End In Sight For Recasting Bush Law
A lengthy overhaul of the No Child Left Behind Act passed through a Senate education committee Wednesday, with senators voting 10-12 along party lines.
The "Strengthening America's Schools Act" is an over 1,000-page bill authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. It rolls back some of the more stringent aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act, but keeps in place the requirement that states set and report performance targets for their students. Senators sparred over the federal government's role in education when considering the overhaul, with Republicans calling Harkin's bill a federal overreach.
"We've got a huge difference between the two sides on this," said Sen. Mark Kirk (R-S.C.). "I don't think we're headed anywhere other than a couple of days we spend in a big room highlighting the differences."
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the committee's ranking member, introduced his own legislation last week. He offered it as an amendment during the markup, but it failed Tuesday. "It places in effect a national school board,"
The "Strengthening America's Schools Act" is an over 1,000-page bill authored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. It rolls back some of the more stringent aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act, but keeps in place the requirement that states set and report performance targets for their students. Senators sparred over the federal government's role in education when considering the overhaul, with Republicans calling Harkin's bill a federal overreach.
"We've got a huge difference between the two sides on this," said Sen. Mark Kirk (R-S.C.). "I don't think we're headed anywhere other than a couple of days we spend in a big room highlighting the differences."
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the committee's ranking member, introduced his own legislation last week. He offered it as an amendment during the markup, but it failed Tuesday. "It places in effect a national school board,"
