No Lobbyist Left Behind

The NY Times reports that Arne Duncan wants to change No Child Left Behind to acknowledge that children are, in fact, fallible human beings:

Unless Congress acts by this fall to overhaul No Child Left Behind, the main federal law on public education, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan signaled that he would use his executive authority to free states from the law’s centerpiece requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014.  

The Obama administration has been facing a mounting clamor from state school officials to waive substantial parts of the law, which President Bush signed in 2002, especially its requirement that states bring 100 percent of students to proficiency in reading and math by 2014 or else face sanctions. In March, Mr. Duncan predicted that the law would classify 80,000 of the nation’s 100,000 public schools as failing this fall unless it was amended.

Now, who could have a problem with that? Well...

Sandy Kress, an Austin lawyer who as a senior education adviser to Mr. Bush helped devise the No Child Left Behind law, said he saw trouble in the administration’s new stance.

“This idea of, ‘if you don’t act, we’re going to go do these massive things’ — to me there’s the feel of a threat to Congress in it,” Mr. Kress said.

"An Austin lawyer," huh? Do you think maybe he might have some interest in keeping up the corporate testing regime?

Yep:

Here's a list of companies that pay NCLB architect Sandy Kress to push their interests.

From the Texas Ethics Commission:

Citizen Schools Inc.

$10,000 - $24,999

Client Start Date: 03/10/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Edvance Research Inc.

Less Than $10,000

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

National Council on Teacher Quality

Less Than $10,000

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Pearson Education

$10,000 - $24,999

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Teach For America

Less Than $10,000

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Texas Charter Schools Association

Less Than $10,000

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Wireless Generation Inc

$25,000 - $49,999

Client Start Date: 1/22/2010

Client Term Date: 12/31/2010

Pearson is one of the largest testing companies in the world and the NY Times has a history of ignoring their role in corporate "reform." Wireless Generation is, of course, Rupert Murdoch and Joel Klein's little adventure into crony education capitalism. NCTQ is another phony-baloney "think tank" that produces "research" that fuels the corporate reform movement; much of what they produce is a joke.

Doesn't the NY Times think it's readers should know about Sandy Kress's interests before taking him at his word?