More on NCLB Reauthorization Timetable

[Bob Schaeffer <bobschaeffer@earthlink.net>]

The NYTimes weighs in on the stalled reauthorization of NCLB. Note that 
this story states Sen. Kennedy does not plan to introduce a bill this year.

FOR A KEY EDUCATION LAW, REAUTHORIZATION STALLS
New York Times -- November 6, 2007
by Sam Dillon

The leaders of the Senate and House education committees are signaling 
that time has run out for reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act 
this year, leaving prospects for rewriting it uncertain during the 
presidential campaign in 2008.

The law, which holds public schools accountable for improving student 
test scores, is President Bush’s signature domestic achievement and the 
most important statement of federal policy toward the nation’s public 
schools.

It passed Congress with bipartisan support in 2001 and will remain in 
effect even without Congressional action.

But the administration and Democrats in Congress had repeatedly promised 
to make important changes to it this year, including some that would 
alter judging student performance.

Despite dozens of hearings, months of public debate and hundreds of 
hours of Congressional negotiation, neither the House nor the Senate has 
produced a bill that would formally start the reauthorization process.

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts and chairman of the 
Senate education committee, has postponed introducing a new version of 
the law until next year, Melissa Wagoner, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kennedy, 
said yesterday.

“Senator Kennedy is committed to putting together a responsible 
reauthorization package early in 2008,” Ms. Wagoner said. “But we’re 
running up against the clock for this year.”

The education committee in the House has worked for months on 
negotiations to produce legislation to renew the law.

But in recent days, its chairman, Representative George Miller, Democrat 
of California, has been working on a higher-education bill.

Mr. Miller’s spokesman, Tom Kiley, said the Senate postponement of 
reauthorization for No Child Left Behind had complicated the work of 
writing a House bill.

“It’s growing less likely that we get a bill off the House floor this 
year,” Mr. Kiley said. “We’re continuing our negotiations on the bill 
with Republicans and with educational organizations, but we’re looking 
to balance the need to work expeditiously with the need to get this bill 
right.”

Mr. Miller has not produced a bill despite repeated suggestions as early 
as June that work on a House reauthorization bill was nearing completion.

Lobbyists for educational organizations who have watched the process 
closely said it appeared that Mr. Miller had been unable either to find 
enough votes among the committee’s Democratic majority to pass a 
reauthorization bill or to stitch together a bill that could attract 
enough Republicans to form a winning bipartisan coalition.

Alexa Marrero, a spokeswoman for Representative Howard P. McKeon of 
California, the ranking Republican on the committee, said: “Chairman 
Miller has signaled that the committee is turning its attention to 
higher education. Looking at the calendar, it’s difficult to see how 
N.C.L.B. could move through the process this year.”

But negotiations continue on some points as lawmakers seek to put 
together a bipartisan bill that could be introduced next year, Ms. 
Marrero said.

Mr. Bush has several times recently urged reauthorization of the law. 
But his efforts have not appeared to help in either chamber, partly 
because he has been waging a series of veto fights with Congressional 
Democrats.

And with only a few weeks left before Congress adjourns for the 
holidays, the House calendar is clogged with appropriations bills and 
other work.

Speaking of reauthorization, Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president for 
government and public affairs at the American Council on Education in 
Washington, said, “It’s dead for this year.”

“The more things move into the presidential election year,” Mr. Hartle 
added, “the more the long-term fate of any reauthorization bill becomes 
problematic.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/06/washington/06child.html