http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=66&ncid=749&e=11&u=/bw/20040816/bs_bw/c3897057mz013Is The Education Prez Making The Grade?
Mon Aug 16, 8:10 AM ET
In 2000, as Texas Governor George W. Bush stumped for President, his emphasis on shaking up public education reinforced the message that he was a compassionate conservative who would reach out to America's underclass. As he decried the "soft bigotry of low expectations" that limited the horizons of inner-city children, Bush did more than appeal to moderate voters. Once in office, he pushed for passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in early 2002 -- an achievement that helped Republicans wipe out the Democrats' traditional advantage on support for schools.
But Bush's advocacy of education reform has proved to be a mixed blessing. Local school boards around the country -- joined by top Democrats such as John Kerry (news - web sites) -- are howling about the tough new law. NCLB requires schools to meet performance standards by 2012. But critics, including many local officials, contend the Administration hasn't provided the funding or the flexibility for school districts to clear the bar.
With his sights set on suburban moms, Kerry has devised an answer. He wants $27 billion to "fully fund" the law, promises more leeway for states, and backs some form of teacher performance standards. In effect, Kerry is striking a bargain with teachers: advocating both higher salaries and the performance ratings their unions abhor.
Republicans can dismiss Kerry's approach as disingenuous, but they have a harder time coping with the backlash among suburban moms who are furious that schools are becoming teach-to-the-test Stepford outfits. Juanita Doyon, a Spanaway (Wash.) mother of four who is running for state school superintendent as an independent, has staked her bid on eliminating her state's exam. "(The test) has destroyed teaching and academic freedom," she says. Besides the testing issue, many localities are raising property taxes to pay for what critics call the largest unfunded federal mandate of recent times. <snip>