Catherwood LibraryILR School

In a mixed victory for teachers' unions and their allies, negotiators for the House and Senate are likely to approve a compromise education bill today. The proposed legislation will incorporate increased federal funding for education, and provide protection for teachers against the growing problem of parent lawsuits, but will also require all states to implement standardized testing for all students grades three through eight---which many educators view as detrimental (See WIT for Oct. 24, 2001). The decision on the highly controversial issue of school vouchers is characteristic of the overall bill: a federal voucher program will not be implemented, but under-performing districts will be forced to subsidize private tutoring for students.