Schoolhouse of Cards

As the Obama Administration wrestles with the impending reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the continuing need for education reform, Eugene Hickok provides an insider's account of this historic legislation. A former key player in the Department of Education during the Bush administration, Hickok describes how Bush's education agenda took shape during the campaign and his first year in office, how it achieved bipartisan support in Congress, and how it was implemented. Hickok believes that NCLB accomplished a few things but not enough and had flaws. In addition, he reveals that the tensions among individuals in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and within the Department of Education undermined the law's implementation.