5 Things to know about the House-Senate No Child rewrites

WASHINGTON (AP) — No one thinks it’ll be easy, but the House and Senate are embarking on negotiations to merge two differing education bills that would rewrite the nation’s much-criticized No Child Left Behind education law.

On Thursday, the Senate overwhelmingly approved its version of the education legislation, a week after the House passed a more conservative measure.

For years, Congress has tried to update the law. It expired in 2007, though its mandates remained in place. Critics have complained there is too much testing and the law is too punitive for schools deemed to be failing. The Obama administration began issuing waivers to dozens of states to get around some of the law’s strictest requirements when it became clear they would not be met.

Here are five things to know about congressional efforts to replace No Child Left Behind:

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