USA Today has put together a snapshot of education stories from 2006.  Of course the Florida ruling was mentioned, along with Spellings’s new focus on higher ed.  But I’m a bit surprised that more wasn’t said about NCLB.  Eduwonk suggests the big NCLB story this year is that no major assaults on the law have materialized in spite of plenty of threats from the NEA and assorted states.  It’s also worth pointing out that in spite of the Democratic takeover; now that Ted Kennedy will be back in charge, it’s just a question of what the law will look like after reauthorization, not whether it will be dismantled.  I’m also puzzled as to why the Skills Commission report wasn’t at least mentioned; to my mind, that really helped 2006 go out with a bang. 

As a side note, I had wondered why the report would be released right in the middle of December; are they trying to bury it?  But truthfully, while the circumstances might not be ideal, it was probably the optimal time to release it.  Next spring all eyes will be on Washington to see what the Dems are up to in Congress.  Besides, in mid-December education reporters tend to have a bit more time on their hands, making it more likely this sort of thing will get more attention in the media.