From the National Governors' Association, December, 2000.
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Aides would not discuss details of the tentative deal on the new standards, which would be used to reward schools that succeed and sanction those that fail to make progress as part of a broader package of education reforms spearheaded by Bush. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota had cited the dispute over the standards as the main obstacle to opening debate on the education bill, which supporters called the most sweeping blueprint for classroom reform in 35 years. Instead, it would allow students in failing schools to use some federal funding to pay for private tutoring or transfer to another public school. For more than a week, Democrats have kept the Senate from taking up the bill as they scrambled behind the scenes to settle their differences with the White House over funding elementary and secondary education programs. Daschle said on Tuesday that Democrats would agree to take up the education bill once negotiators completed drafting the accountability standards and other disputed provisions.