GOP Left Behind as Obama’s Expected Veto Spells Disaster For Republican Education Bill

Shortly after his Keystone Pipeline veto, President Obama is gearing up to veto yet another Republican backed bill aimed at fixing the “No Child Left Behind” act. Obama called the bill “a significant step backwards.”

The “No Child Left Behind” was a legislative hallmark of George W. Bush and one that was widely criticized on both sides of the aisle. It has now been thirteen years since the controversial bill was signed by Bush and both democrats and republicans publicly acknowledged that “No Child Left Behind” failed to live up to its promise.

The bill promised to have all students performing up to their grade levels by 2014. As plummeting grades and cash strapped schools become ever more prevalent, this is not the case. Schools must compete for funds by attaining high grades and those who don’t, suffer penalties and staff firings.

In short, No Child Left Behind has achieved the exact opposite of its stated purpose by depriving under performing schools of the staff required to bring the overall grade levels of the students up to the standards set by the bill.

Part of the problem with the bill lies in its 600 hundred page length. Lawmakers on the hill cant agree an what parts need an overhaul and because of this gridlock, Obama allowed waivers to states, exempting them from the more labored parts of the bill, only to have school adopt an equally confusing curriculum known as Common Core, which sets benchmark goals and requires a certain level of competency for each student to reach before moving on the next level.

Even though the standards were developed by state governors, House Republicans see this as another government takeover of education and a gross overreach by the White House.

The Republican bill set before congress would allow greater freedom of individual states to set their own standards, releasing them form the grip of common core and current education goals outlines by “No Child Left Behind,” however, critics say that it would give the states the ability to lower the bar and doesn’t go far enough to educate students.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan razed the bill saying that the proposal would hit minorities and poor communities the hardest by depriving them of the education required to succeed in the 21 century, stating that the poorest communities stand to loose over 3 billion dollars in funding.

“If you look at the numbers, it’s a pretty devastating portrait of what this thing might do. It simply doesn’t make sense.”

President Obama said that the bill “abdicates the historic federal role in elementary and secondary education of ensuring the educational progress of all of America’s students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and students of color.”

“No Child Left Behind” expired in 2007 and has yet to be replaced by a universally approved legislation. The veto of the republican proposal is expected, even as House republicans are set to vote on the bill on Friday without the support of democratic leaders.