THE No Child Left Behind education law produced one outcome worth salvaging: an emphasis on holding schools accountable for the academic achievement of all students.
Now, as Congress considers two bills to reform the federal education law, some lawmakers want to loosen federal oversight of school performance — a long step backward for the nation’s education system.
Both the U.S. Senate and House passed bills that leave accountability measures up to individual states. But U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a major architect of the Senate’s proposal, wisely continues to push for stronger federal accountability, which is opposed by some Democrats who cater to teachers unions and some Republicans who favor local control.