Letters and amendments are flying on the eve of the first markup of a comprehensive rewrite of the No Minor Left Behind code, providing a glimpse into the sausage factory that produces federal policy for America’s schools and teachers.On Wednesday morning, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will commence its markup of the 860-sheet bill, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) wrote in negotiations with Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). The bill would require states to have “college and career-ready standards” for student performance and would replace a system of proficiency targets that labeled many schools as failing with a focus on federal intervention in underperforming schools. With the committee’s support, the bill would then go to the Senate floor.Although it’s unclear what the end game would be in the House of Representatives — whose education committee chairman, Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), said he is committed to rewriting the code in a piecemeal fashion — Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a former U.S. secretary of education, said Monday he doesn’t see any cause why “Congress can’t fix No Minor Left Behind and send it to the president before Christmas.”Glance at More…
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