NCLB News:

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), wrote to the Washington Post on the sixth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to urge renewed action on reauthorizing the law..

With renewal of the No Child Left Behind Act high on the agenda for the new session of Congress, it's no surprise that the 2002 law -- the Bush administration's signature domestic initiative -- has become a political football in this intense campaign season. The administration continues to speak glowingly of the law while Democratic candidates blast it. But simplistic campaign rhetoric hardly reflects what's actually happening on school reform.

Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of the law's enactment. It's a good time to take realistic stock of things. Obviously, the results are mixed. Many elements of the reforms have produced encouraging progress for young children in public schools across the nation, and they deserve to be supported. Other aspects of the law have not been satisfactory, and some have been failures. These must be changed.

The stakes are high. At issue is a goal that Democrats have long embraced as a fundamental principle of our party -- opportunity for all Americans. Strengthening the nation's schools is essential for preparing our citizens to compete and win in the global economy. We in Congress have an obligation to parents, to teachers and, most of all, to schoolchildren across America to draw the right lessons from these past six years with the No Child Left Behind Act and put school reform on a stronger path for the future.

Read more in theWashington Post >>

Business leaders urge renewed support for NCLB
On the sixth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act, BCSA celebrated gains and urged Congress and the Administration to renew the law that has helped to increase student gains and narrow the achievement gap.
Read more in BCSA press release >>

Former Governors call for Congressional action on NCLB
In a bipartisan op-ed supporting the bipartisan bill, Tommy Thompson (R), former secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and former governor of Wisconsin and Roy Barnes (D), the former governor of Georgia, wrote to urge Congress to act quickly to improve and pass NCLB legislation.
Read more in the The Washington Times >>

NCLB enters the debate leading up to the 2008 elections
With NCLB up for reauthorization in Congress, the law has come under debate among the Presidential candidates headed toward the election of 2008. The candidates, detractors and supporters alike, focus on the need for continued accountability in education reform.
Read more in the The New York Times >>

Businesses taking more interest in education
The business community has galvanized to advocate on political and education policy issues, recognizing that “education is not strictly a social issue but an economic imperative in the global work force. "The students' interests are aligning with the companies' interests and the country's in terms of competitiveness," said Susan Traiman, director of education and work force policy at the Business Roundtable.
Read more in the Austin American Statesman >>

BUSINESS COALITION FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND UPDATE, January 8, 2008

BUSINESS COALITION FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND UPDATE, January 8, 2008