The U.S. Department of Education recently introduced new rules on federal funding for charter schools. The agency argued that its new rules are meant to stop for-profit companies from opening charter schools with federal funds, as well as to prevent premature school closures. Meanwhile, opponents of the new rules argue that they are burdensome and could prevent some schools from receiving federal funding through grants. Charter schools are publicly funded, tuition-free schools established and run by private groups. These groups create contracts — or charters — with state and local governments to establish a school’s mission and academic goals as…

Saying “Congress hasn’t been able to do it, so I will,” President Obama announced that he is waiving central provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, the signature education policy achievement of the George W. Bush Administration. Although the original bill passed Congress with bipartisan support, the law has since become controversial, with many charging that the program is too focused on standardized testing and that it intrudes too much on local control of education. The May 2008 Congressional Digest, titled “No Child Left Behind Revisited,” covered the Pro & Con debate on the question “Should Congress Make Fundamental…