Time Magazine predicts that No Child Left Behind, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) will see Congressional action early in the term of the next President. In the space of this short piece:
Time writer Jay Newton-Small calls both education reform and universal health care "major campaign issues".
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) describes unsuccessful Congressional efforts on these issues over the past two years this way: "Some of these things are like spring training, you know, that the real game is going to be played next year."
Senator Ron Wyden says regarding big domestic issues: "hopefully we lay bi-partisan track for next year when there’ll be an opportunity to take a bolder approach."
Having both these issues - health care and education - in play presents intriguing possibilities.
Might it be possible to address the broad proposals laid out by the "Bigger, Bolder" campaign and at the same time pursue the ambitious education reform agenda of groups like "Ed in 08" and the Education Equality Project?
Might Congress seize this opportunity to be truly bold and innovative and try to promote the full-service "Schools of the 21st Century" that folks like Ed Zigler are advocating, schools which bear striking similarities to other successful schools that recently have received national attention, such as the MATCH charter school in Boston?
Endnote/Update:
I should have noted that Randi Weingarten struck many of these same themes when she assumed the AFT presidency on July 14th. Note that these remarks strike a quite different tone than "Bigger, Bolder" in that they emphasize the integration of services within comprehensive "community schools" rather than shift responsibility away from the educational system. I take this as a good omen.
Weingarten on July 14th:
"Can you imagine a federal law that promoted community schools—schools that serve the neediest children by bringing together under one roof all the services and activities they and their families need?
"Imagine schools that are open all day and offer after-school and evening recreational activities and homework assistance. High schools that allow students to sign up for morning, afternoon or evening classes.
"And suppose the schools included child care and dental, medical and counseling clinics, or other services the community needs. For example, they might offer neighborhood residents English language instruction, GED programs or legal assistance.
"And can you imagine if cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and others where mayors control the schools, actually used that power to integrate services on behalf of kids?"
04:00:03 am, Categories: Announcements [A] 
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