Lately, it seems that just about everyone has a bone to pick with No Child Left Behind. Critics on right and left complain that the law's provisions are causing too many headaches, and schools, districts, and legislators are vowing to reject federal funding so as to avoid some of its tricky accountability provisions. It's easy to forget that, back in January 2002 when President Bush signed NCLB into law, the statute had broad bipartisan support. Fortunately, there are still some education leaders like the Education Trust's Kati Haycock to haul out the painful realities of present school performance, remind us that the goals of NCLB are noble and worth attaining, and insist that "this challenge we have set for ourselves as a country is a doable challenge."
"'No Child' advocate scores points with facts," by Jay Mathews, Washington Post, April 6, 2004