Kline says education overhaul shouldn't be rushed

President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to rewrite the nation's governing education law by next fall, but an influential congressman from Minnesota says the job is too important to rush.

Obama set the ambitious timeline during a speech Monday, but Republican Rep. John Kline of Lakeville says Congress should take the time to get it right and not set an arbitrary deadline.

Kline is the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Obama came into office promising to overhaul the No Child Left Behind law enacted in 2002.

Obama says many of the goals behind the law were good, including raising standards and accountability and highlighting the achievement gaps among students. But he criticized the law for failing to help schools meet those goals.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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