From Deseret News archives:
Think tank says No Child Act is destined to fail
We're a red state that is seeing red over a program the red people tout as their biggest domestic-policy achievement. Of course, it's also an underfunded program from Washington, where people like to spend in the red.
I'm not sure what all that means, living as I do in a state where "red" tends to refer most often to the sports teams of the state's largest public university. Color schemes don't tend to work well with the intricacies of politics.
Still, those two facts Utah's rebellion against the law and support for the president are indeed ironic. But they are not contradictory. Utah voters tend to prefer conservative candidates, and President Bush fits that description in many ways. The No Child Left Behind Act, however, is definitely not one of them.
That's the theme behind a recent essay Lawrence A. Uzzell wrote for the Cato Institute, a libertarian think-tank in Washington. Uzzell is a former staff member for the U.S. Department of Education as well as for the House and Senate committees on education. His feeling is that the No Child law is destined to fail because, like any centralized program, it tries to force local officials to do things they'd really rather not do.
When people are forced to do something, they'll look for shortcuts. Over time, states will find ways around the law's requirements. If too many schools are failing, or not showing "adequate yearly progress," states will want to relax the standards. Uzzell predicts this will lead to a "race to the bottom" that is typical of centralized programs.
Comments
- Obama honors veterans 9:39 a.m.
- Police probe possible firebombing 9:28 a.m.
- BYU football recruit turning heads 9:04 a.m.
- Audit: S.L. County 911 'inefficient' 9:02 a.m.
- Audit calls for end to 'double dipping' 9:02 a.m.
- UCAT cheaper education option 9:02 a.m.
- VA promises response to war illness 8:17 a.m.
- Military sees increase in wounded 8:16 a.m.
- Who knew Hasan's radical contacts 8:13 a.m.
- Bomb kills 9 officers in Pakistan 8:13 a.m.
- Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
- Utah group finds homes for orphans
- Hair-pulling raises more questions
- Wyoming writer amazed by BYU
- Y. tight ends talented tandem
- Utah Jazz have a problem at point
- Utes get extra motivation
- 4 Jazz players make All-Star ballot
- 'Love story' of crash victim ends
- House passes health care bill
267 - TCU showdown has big implications
188 - Lobo suspended
185 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
155 - Senators want food tax restored
155 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
119 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
106 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
104 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Maybe someone out there can help me understand how raising the state...
get the health insurance, oR PAY THE TAX. NOT paying TAXES has always been...
Brewer? You are correct - that is actually Brewer biggest weakness - not his...
Class fear mongering. Grow up!
Saying that either Bingham or Alta will overlook Hunter is ridiculous in...
What a beautiful story and a beautiful girl. I hope that the family does not...
Does Scott really blame the Obama Administration for what happened at Ft....
Does anyone know what offers, if any that Kuresa has at this point? I know he...
want a big TCU win because they want the Utes to join them in their...
Oil is a commodity, and prices on almost all commodities have been rising....
To John C. | 2:59 a.m. “When ever a people have tried to set up a...


You can be the first to comment on this story.