Wisconsin and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

cross post at The American Street
Wisconsin may be the first state to challenge NCLB legally. From CNN:

Wisconsin's attorney general has issued an opinion that the federal government can't force states to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act without fully funding it.

The opinion released Thursday was the first in the country from a state attorney general on the education reform measure, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager said "clear and compelling" language in the law itself says the federal government can't make states or school districts pay the law's mandated costs for improved education.

The opinion could be the first step toward a lawsuit challenging the law, said Scott Young, NCSL education policy associate.

Wisconsin, by the way, is a swing state.

The funding problem hasn't gone away despite all the DOE talk about NCLB being fully funded. Outside the Beltway, school boards and state legislators are having problems figuring out how to pay for NCLB. Here's a few examples: Kentucky, Indiana , and Ohio.

So far, keep in mind 17 states have lodged official protests against NCLB.