End of No Child Left Behind a big win for outgoing Rep. John Kline

WASHINGTON – Republican U.S. Rep. John Kline has spent the last few years trying to broker the rarest of deals in Washington, a bipartisan accord on a deeply controversial and entrenched education accountability measure.

Kline achieved his biggest and most lasting political accomplishment Thursday as he stood on stage in the White House while President Obama signed into law a massive overhaul of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The new measure gained both the support of die-hard conservatives and Democrats like U.S. Sen. Al Franken, a historic accomplishment at a time of often deep partisan divide.

“It takes work,” Kline said of building the bipartisan coalition. “But since we were working to the same big goal, you could start working out the details.”

http://www.startribune.com/end-of-no-child-left-behind-a-big-win-for-outgoing-rep-john-kline/361512051/