House Panel Questions Duncan on ESEA and Budget

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan got a warm reception last week—but also plenty of pointed questions—from both Democrats and Republicans on the House Education and Labor Committee, which is kicking off the reauthorization process for the Elementary and Secondary Act.

Members of the panel asked about a broad range of issues, including assessments for students in special education, and the administration’s push for extended learning time. The panel recently announced a bipartisan effort to renew the main federal K-12 law, whose current version is the No Child Left Behind Act.

Although the tone of the March 3 hearing was congenial, it is clear that some committee members have qualms about aspects of the administration’s fiscal 2011 budget proposal, released earlier this year and reflective of many of the administration’s priorities for the...