Andrew Rotherham of Bellwether Education makes some predictions about Tuesday's implications for education in a new School of Thought column for Time:
Given the current political climate, there probably won't be any big No Child Left Behind-like education bills in the next two years . . . A more likely path to progress is smaller, more modest bills championed by moderate Democrats and reenergized Republicans like Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, a former U.S. Secretary of Education, governor, and university president who, along with Boehner, is seen as a pragmatist.
Rotherham respects John Boehner, who will likely become speaker of the House, and notes that the congressman ?cares deeply about education.? But though ?education is often seen as a bipartisan issue,? Rotherham writes, ?there is actually not a lot of agreement on specific policy around contentious issues like national education standards, school choice and performance pay for teachers.? With 60 new GOP representatives (some of whom are in no mood to compromise with Democrats) headed to the Capitol, Boehner may not be able to showcase his considerable deal-making talent for some time.
?Liam Julian, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow