"NCLB is the biggest failure in the history of public education this side of "separate but equal"."

Chase,

While I tend to agree with most of your arguments, the main issue is not what NCLB does or is. It is that it is the Federal Government meddling in a local issue that would be more appropriately handled by States or even better, local school boards. Children on the Federal level are just numbers and statistics. There can be no accounting for local conditions (poverty, teacher education, community needs, etc) or individual differences in learning. It sets a standard of college prep in education in areas that would likely be well served by a basic set of educational tools and then some good vocational training. For example, why are we worried about an inner city kid who can barely read getting into college rather than setting them up with skills that they could really use in life.

Vouchers... Vouchers are a great idea when implemented on a local, regional, or state level. They allow for more individual choice in schools. However, it would be beyond the role fo the Feds to mandate any system outside of Washington DC.

The only thing the Feds should be involved in is breaking up the large national teachers' unions. Part of the problem with education is you have these large unions (they would be monopolies in the business world) that have far too much control over the local education system.