The federal No Child Left Behind law always has stood as a contradiction. The Republican Party long has touted a decentralization of power away from Washington and the principle that education should be a local matter. And yet, a Republican Congress and president imposed this law, which gives Washington enormous power over local school districts and sets up a cookie-cutter template that applies to all schools, regardless of local circumstances.

However, the law also presents a conundrum difficult to ignore. Without this pressure from Washington, it is highly unlikely Utah schools would be taking the need for improvements seriously. The law exposed large inequities in Utah between the achievements of white and minority students. It also imposes real penalties for a school's failure to meet certain standards, which is something Utah lawmakers and school officials consistently have avoided doing.

Congress has begun debating again over how to change this law. Utah's delegation has its own unique ideas, ranging from Rep. Jim Matheson's detailed plan to loosen the requirements to Rep. Rob Bishop's desire to scrap the law altogether.

Given the new Democratic majority in Congress, the law isn't likely to be scrapped. A centralized approach to education seems here to stay. That's a shame.

Matheson's bill addresses a lot of real problems with the No Child Left Behind law. Its requirements for all teachers to be "highly qualified" in the subject they teach puts small rural schools at a disadvantage, even as it discounts experience teachers may have in lieu of college training. The law also is too unforgiving toward schools that deal with large populations of disabled or non-English speaking kids.

At least, No Child Left Behind acknowledges that public education in the United States must improve dramatically in order to compete with the education systems in other nations. It recognizes that improvements aren't likely to come without the threat of sanctions.

Unfortunately, to drive that point home it also usurps the powers of local school boards and the Legislature — two bodies that are much closer to the people of Utah than are the folks in Washington. Centralized solutions to local problems generally don't work. Contradictions and conundrums notwithstanding, that is the overwhelming problem with this law.