MN REPUBLICAN SENATORS WANT OUT OF NCLB

A group of Minnesota Republican State Senators announced Thursday that they will introduce a bill next year to try to get the state out of federal No Child Left Behind requirements. Princeton Senator Betsy Wergin said the law has become more trouble than its worth. Wergin said anytime you try to create a system for the thousands of cities and towns across the country, its really not going to fit anybody. The Princeton Senator said only one Minnesota congressman voted for NCLB when it was introduced and "that was I belive, Jim Oberstar. You had the range of Betty McCollum to Jim Ramstad voting against it." Wergin said the bill was put together by Ted Kennedy and George Bush and "if you're trying to fill a gamut that wide, you're going to end up pertty muddy, and its a muddy piece of legislation that's not working and we want out." Wergin said there is a downside to getting out of the requirements; they come with $150-Million in federal funds. She said most of the school representatives she's talked to say the requirements of the bill cost them more than its worth.