Kennedy Put Imprint on K-12, Social Issues With Fierce Advocacy

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be remembered as a staunch advocate for education who used his immense political skills and his willingness to bridge the partisan divide to advance policies supporting students and their schools.

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 voice on health care, civil rights, and other issues, as well as education. He had been either the chairman—as he was at the time of his death—or ranking Democrat on what is currently called the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee since 1981.

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