The White House and Congress are trying to avoid a schoolyard brawl over President Bush's education reforms when lawmakers return to work Monday. As a result, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., has reportedly decided to delay the start of floor debate on education until at least Wednesday.
Education is the president's priority and it's our priority, too.
Last week, Bush went out of his way to praise Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., a key sponsor of a bill that includes many of the administration's ideas. But the Democrats also call for more money over all for schools, more money for low-income children and an alternative to vouchers, public money parents could use to send their children to private and parochial schools. But the Democrats want closer to a 13 percent hike. A very tentative compromise in the Senate over the voucher plan would allow students in chronically failing schools to receive federal funds for private tutoring. It would streamline the procedure for those students to transfer to another public school.