Proposal to renew and revise No Child Left Behind faces challenges from both parties, likely delay

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which has posed challenges for many rural schools, was supposed to be renewed in 2006, and after Democrats took control of Congress, they promised to rewrite it this year. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who is the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, is trying to do just that, but his task is not easy, writes Nicole Gaouette of the Los Angeles Times.

She reports that his proposed changes to the bill — which include expanding measurements of student performance to subjects beyond English and math — are drawing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. "Miller is sparring with Republicans who see his proposed changes as an unacceptable watering down of the law's core standards," she writes. "Teachers object to his proposal to link pay to performance. Even his fellow Democrats -- particularly freshmen who campaigned against it and members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- are giving him a hard time, largely for not doing enough to soften the law's most rigid requirements."

Miller drafted more than 1,000 pages of proposed changes with Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., but as he "has tweaked that proposal to appeal to Democrats and teachers, he has lost Republicans." But Miller has hope that a compromise can be reached to pass the House. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., plans to start the Senate's formal discussions on No Child Left Behind in the coming weeks. (Read more)

However, "It’s looking increasingly likely that Congress won’t make much progress in addressing the law’s flaws this year, endangering the prospects that the task will be completed before President Bush leaves office," reports David Hoff of Education Week, who quotes Miller spokesman Tom Kiley: “It is unlikely that we will be able to get a bill off the House floor this year.” (Read more; subscription may be required)