The No Child Left Behind law has been a frequent target of criticism here on the blog. Rod Paige, the US Secretary of Education recently announced the relaxation of certain requirements of NCLB. We agree with this action, but also feel compelled to point out the utter hypocrisy of the Bush Administration's education policy. First, some context: when NCLB was enacted, it was done with bipartisan support. The best example of that was Ted Kennedy co-sponsoring the bill and standing at President Bush's shoulder when he signed it. The bill is essentially a good one. What's corrupt is the administration's implementation of the bill. As long as the stringent interpretation of the law plunged countless urban schools into probation or worse, there was no budging. But now, with Republican dominated legislatures in states such as Utah and Virginia revolting against the unfair results that flow from NCLB, the Bush administration suddenly capitulates and weakens the regs. As long as the casualties were urban schools and their Democratic leaning teachers' unions, fairness was not a consideration. But now that the bill harms schools without regard to political affiliation, compassion emerges.