Kennedy Mourned as Education Champion

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a leading voice in Congress on education matters in the decades before his death Aug. 25, is being remembered for his strong convictions as well as his political acumen and willingness to work across the partisan divide.

For nearly a half-century in the U.S. Senate, Mr. Kennedy was a steadfast champion of the working class and the poor, and a powerful liberal advocate on education, as well as health care, civil rights, and other issues. He had been either the chairman—as he was at the time of his death—or ranking Democrat on what is currently named the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee since 1981.

In such positions, he played a central role in shaping—and reshaping—major education laws and programs, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and...