SCHOOLIN’

Education Secretary Duncan Promises Action on NCLB

Will ease school sanctions if Congress fails to act.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan is tired of waiting for Congress. If they fail to rewrite the Bush legislation No Child Left Behind by the start of the next school year, Duncan said he will do it himself. Teachers and state leaders have complained that the law is too strict and unrealistic, and Duncan predicts that the vast majority of public schools will miss their target standardized test scores by next year, forcing sanctions and mandatory administration overhauls. Duncan said he will take steps to ease some of those sanctions if Congress doesn't act in time. “We are hearing a tremendous amount of frustration across the country,” Duncan said. “We are not going to sit back here and do nothing.”