State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow says if the re-written version of the federal No Child Left Behind Act that is being considered by congress becomes law, it will be a big improvement.

She says that although the current legislation is being called a "reauthorization" of No Child Left Behind, the proposed version is so different from the existing law that calling it that really isn't accurate.

Balow says among the changes that would be good for Wyoming are more flexibility in how federal education money is spent as well as in education accountability for state schools. Balow says those changes are "a big deal".

She says the current law, with greater federal involvement in local education, may work well in big city schools, but doesn't help education in a rural state like Wyoming. Balow says the two houses of congress need to vote on a final version of the bill when they get back from vacation next month.

She says once that happens she hopes President Obama won't veto the bill, although she adds Education Secretary Arne Duncan has raised that possibility in his comments on the proposed bill.

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