NCLB politics

Just because NCLB hasn't emerged as a critical campaign issue doesn't mean the election won't have a big impact on President Bush's 'legacy' law. This article by Ledyard King from Gannett News Service lays out what might happen to the law, depending on who ends up winning.

Writes King: "If the next president is a Democrat, it's likelier the accountability-centered framework of No Child will remain but with perhaps less testing and more money for smaller classes and teacher retraining, said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a Washington think tank."

The Republicans are less predictable. "That's because the party is divided between the conservative base that makes up the majority of primary voters and wants state and local control of schools, and business interests that provide most of the campaign funding and believe No Child should not only be renewed but strengthened. "

King then walks us through what the Republicans have said to date.

Richard Whitmire