Education chief may alter 'No Child' rules if Congress doesn't act

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MICHAEL ALISON CHANDLER, Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- If Congress fails to act on President Obama's call to rewrite the No Child Left Behind law by the start of next school year, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, he will take steps to ease some of its most punitive provisions for states that are making strides in improving schools.

"We are hearing a tremendous amount of frustration across the country," Duncan told reporters Friday. "We are not going to sit back here and do nothing." He spoke on the condition that his remarks would not be made public until Sunday.

Many teachers and state leaders have long protested that the 2002 law is too punitive, too strict and fundamentally unrealistic. The law sets a goal for all students to show proficiency in reading and math by 2014

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