Where conservatives and liberals agree
July 10, 2007| By Nathaniel Ward
Conservatives and liberals may disagree on many issues, but in one policy area they see eye-to-eye. Heritage education expert Dan Lips explains that “conservatives and liberals alike are calling for greater state and local control of schools.”
He notes that liberals like Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) have urged reforms to No Child Left Behind, the big-government education bill that’s up for reauthorization this year, to further school choice. A recent letter signed by Feingold and five other Congressional liberals indicates, Lips argues, that “support for the principle that public schools should be governed by local authorities crosses party lines.”
“If liberals and conservatives team up to support policies that shift education authority to the state and local levels, they could push the Bush Administration and Democratic leaders in Congress to fundamentally reform No Child Left Behind,” Lips concludes. “That would be good news for parents and taxpayers who want state and local officials to take charge of their local schools.”
Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.
