Kline expects less emphasis on standardized tests

Minnesota Rep. John Kline expects Congress to pull back on federal testing requirements during an upcoming rewrite of the No Child Left Behind education law.

Kline will have a prominent voice in the debate as the senior Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, a role he assumed this month.

Speaking to reporters Monday, Kline said the law passed under then-President George W. Bush came with too many demands from Washington. He said states should have more say over the frequency of student testing.

Currently, reading and math exams are required in grades three through eight. Schools that don't show enough student progress face escalating sanctions that can lead to total staff restructuring.

The law's rewrite is expected to begin this fall and could stretch into next year.

On the subject of Minnesota's long-running senate race, Kline said he'd like to see a rematch.

Kline says Minnesota should consider a change to its election laws, perhaps to require a runoff in Senate races, as Georgia does.

"In a perfect world, I would like to see the Minnesota Supreme Court say 'we cannot declare a winner,' and then, I suppose the law would require Governor Pawlenty to name someone and have an election again in 2010."

(MPR reporter Tom Scheck contributed to this story)