Va. Seeks To Leave Bush Law Behind

[kskiska]

Republicans Fight School Mandates

Saturday, January 24, 2004; Page A01

RICHMOND, Jan. 23 -- The Republican-controlled Virginia House of Delegates sharply criticized President Bush's signature education program Friday, calling the No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate that threatens to undermine the state's own efforts to improve students' performance.

By a vote of 98 to 1, the House passed a resolution calling on Congress to exempt states like Virginia from the program's requirements. The law "represents the most sweeping intrusions into state and local control of education in the history of the United States," the resolution says, and will cost "literally millions of dollars that Virginia does not have."

(snip)

Officials in other states also have complained about the effects of the act, signed into law in 2002. But Friday's action in the House represents one of the strongest formal criticisms to date from a legislative chamber controlled by the president's own party.

The House action came after months of complaints from local and state educators that the federal law conflicts with Virginia's Standards of Learning testing program, in place since 1998 and considered one of the toughest in the nation.

No Republicans voted against the resolution, a fact that House Education Chairman James H. Dillard II (R-Fairfax) said is proof that "the damn law is ludicrous."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43173-2004Jan23.html?nav=hptop_tb

[lcordero]

1. an empty threat

If they were serious they would threaten to secede.

[LiviaOlivia]

2. "the damn law is ludicrous"

Yes Virginia, the Emperor has no clothes.

<snip>
Democrats, who plan to make the No Child Left Behind Act a major issue in the 2004 presidential and congressional elections, seized upon the Virginia House's action. "These Republicans realize what others have for quite a while, which is that No Child Left Behind is just a campaign slogan and it doesn't offer real hope for kids," said Tony Welch, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee.
<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43173-2004Jan23.html?nav=hptop_tb

[diamond14]

3. ha ha..the reTHUGlicans are all turning against bush* from all directions

it's coming from everywhere now....I can hardly keep up with all the reTHUGlican criticisms of the shrub....shrub certainly looks like he's hitting the bottle again, and we never see him at the White House anymore, where the staff might spill the beans....

it's a very good sign for the upcoming Presidential election....

very nice quote to keep in mind:

"the damn law is ludicrous."

[Moderator]

4. Kick!

:dem:

[pinto]

5. Fairfax repug...this will echo downtown DC..and kick......n/t

[underpants]

6. Folks, Virginia is really in play in 2004

No one thinks it (Va. hasn't voted for a Dem for POTUS since LBJ in '64) but it is. Trust me on this, this action by the General Assembly will speak volumes 'round heeUHre.

[Auntie Bush]

7. I hope Clark's got his men down

there ready to pick up the pieces. Bush is doomed, especially if other states get on the band wagon.

[underpants]

8. His ads are all over the place here

I see them daily on the local NBC station, easily the most watched news coverage. Good ads too, one on his service and one with him directly speaking into the camera-"Those who started this war refuse to admit their mistakes....I will get us out of this. I am Wesley Clark and I approved this ad, I have lead men in battle and I will lead us out of this" as a summary.