Eyebrows Raised Over Initial NCLB Waiver Bids

Two key Democrats urge no easy sign-off

A pair of Democratic education leaders in Congress have raised red flags about the first batch of state applications for waivers that would give states flexibility from some requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The lawmakers—U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, of Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Rep. George Miller, of California, the House education panel's ranking member—worry that accountability under the law's current version, the No Child Left Behind Act, will be significantly watered down if many of the applications are approved as submitted.

They're urging U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to adhere to the very high bar he says he's set for approval, and to work with states...