Kennedy Gone; Power Shuffles Likely on K-12

Leadership Key as NCLB Renewal Looms

The death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy leaves a void in the landscape of education politics, with no obvious heir to his leadership on K-12 issues in the U.S. Senate.

The Massachusetts Democrat, one of the architects of the nearly 8-year-old No Child Left Behind Act—on which he joined forces across party lines with President George W. Bush—was celebrated for his mastery of the legislative process as well as for his passionate advocacy for children. ( "Kennedy Put Imprint on K-12, Social Issues With Fierce Advocacy," this issue.)

For decades, it was known in Washington that “all roads in federal education policy run through Kennedy, no matter who is president, no matter what the makeup of Congress is,” said Vic Klatt, who served as an aide to Republicans on the House education committee for 15 years and worked in the U.S. Department of Education under...