While the President and First Lady celebrated the first anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act at the White House with school principals and superintendents, education leaders, and members of Congress on Wednesday, critics of the law gripe that it will be impossible for states and districts to comply unless the path is greased with $7.7 billion in additional federal education funds. Forty-two Democratic senators have sent a letter to President Bush complaining that NCLB will fail without that sort of budget boost. Meanwhile, five states - Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio - have had their accountability plans approved by the Department of Education. All other states must submit preliminary plans by January 31, 2003. A survey released this week by Americans for Better Education found that 91 percent of Americans support the main goals of NCLB, and that two thirds believe that raising standards and accountability is more important than increasing funding to improve education.
"Education law reaches milestone amid discord," by Michael Fletcher, Washington Post, January 8, 2003
"President Bush celebrates one-year anniversary of No Child Left Behind Act," U.S. Department of Education press release