The reauthorization of No Child Left Behind will be a contentions battle. We knew that. We knew it would be politically polarizing and that it would get worse due to the coming Presidential elections as both the candidates of both parties steer toward the extremes in order to survive the primaries. That is happening.
On Monday, July 23, CNN and YouTube hosted the Democratic presidential candidates debate in Charleston, SC and NCLB came up. The replies fit the expectation perfectly. Some candidates said scrap it, others said it should be reauthorized and others acknowledged that it needs work but that its focus on accountability should not be lost in the process. That about covers the spectrum; and that, if nothing else, makes it clear that the law, barring something extraordinary, will not likely be be completed in 2007. As many pundits have predicted, it will likely become a creature of the 2008 Presidential election. And, no, Bill Richardson's response is not remixed. He just had some trouble with idea flow, but he got his point across. There is, however, a cut to Sen. Dodd's response who jumped in during the next question regarding whether their own children go to public or private school.
Tags: NCLB ESEA
