The challenge for Bush, who campaigned on his record of raising student achievement in Texas, has been how to convert those gains into a national strategy without trampling on rights of states. Early on, Bush borrowed a formula already proposed by New Democrats, who were challenging their own party's orthodoxy on education. These New Democrats, including Sens. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Evan Bayh of Indiana, wanted to do more than fund programs for poor students at ever higher levels. They called, too, for more flexibility for states to use federal funds in ways that better met local needs. For mainstream Democrats, targeting funds to specific programs was a guarantee that money would reach poor students.
Education is the president's priority and it's our priority, too.
I'm confident that we can reach agreement. Meanwhile, the president is reshaping the Department of Education to carry out the new law. Since its inception, the Education Department has worked closely with teachers unions and educators and, as a result, funded a broad range of education strategies. Early signs are that the revamped department will sharply narrow its focus to Bush's priorities. Business groups have been key players in education reforms in states like Texas and North Carolina since the mid-1980s.