Kudos to Spellings -- this is exactly right:

The policy changes are part of a pattern of enforcement by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. She wants to show she can adapt -- waiving rules to get more kids in tutoring -- and yet be tough on states that do not comply, by threatening to pull their money.

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Education Department expands tutoring experiments

www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/07/27/nclb.tutoring.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- The Bush administration says it again will bend the rules of the No Child Left Behind law, intending to get thousands more poor children into tutoring.

The Education Department said Wednesday it would expand two experiments that early signs indicate have helped more children get into tutoring. The step is an attempt to address a major snag under the 2002 law.

Only 10 percent to 20 percent of the more than 1 million poor children eligible for tutoring have signed up. That is considered a dismal rate of participation.

The policy changes are part of a pattern of enforcement by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings. She wants to show she can adapt -- waiving rules to get more kids in tutoring -- and yet be tough on states that do not comply, by threatening to pull their money...