No Child Left Behind

Why is it so important for every one of the nation's students in Grades 3 through 8 — and a whole host of high school students taking the new end-of-course assessments — to devote an enormous amount of their instructional time to taking standardized tests? Why should their teachers rewrite their curricula to align with these tests? Why should taxpayers spend a boatload of money on these tests, rather than put the funds into our children's classrooms?

Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy has a spotty history — and lots of advisers with industry ties — when it comes to the state's implementation of federal Common Core education initiative. His latest "mistruths" revolve around a parent's right to opt their children out of the standardized testing, as well as who's responsible for this in the first place.

Since the economic downturn in 2008, education funding has dropped in Oklahoma more than in any other state. When teachers held a rally last week at the state capitol, the tea party conservatives got upset — not at the estimated 22 percent cut in education funds, but at the "self-righteousness" of holding the rally on a school day.

Conservative Republicans don't think a GOP rewrite of the No Child Left Behind education law does enough to reduce Washington's influence. Moderates are warily eying proposals that would expand charter schools' role. It's just the latest example of the fractured Republican membership in the House, where the party has a majority but often stumbles over internal disagreements.