"No Child Left Behind" rebellion.(Insider Report)

"From Utah to Virginia, a revolt is building in classrooms and legislatures against the biggest education reform in a quarter century," observed the February 11 Christian Science Monitor. "The rebellion, in some cases led by GOP lawmakers, could endanger a signature achievement of the Bush administration in an election year"--specifically, the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) education reform act, created by the Bush White House in consultation with ultra-leftist Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

NCLB is essentially "a morass of complex requirements on everything from who's tested to who can teach," continues the Monitor. "Schools can land on a watch list for something as simple as testing only 94 percent of students--or 94 percent of a subgroup, like non-English speakers. Many districts don't understand what they're trying to implement."

In Vermont and Connecticut, some districts "have refused federal funds rather than comply with all [NCLB] mandates," the Monitor reports. "A district in Pennsylvania is suing the state over what it sees as inequities in the law.... At least seven states have passed resolutions criticizing the law or asking for federal waivers on some requirements.... Maine is considering a bill--similar to one in Vermont--to prevent state funding of reforms."

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