Editorials

Reading First is supposed to be the cornerstone of No Child Left Behind. It is supposed to use “scientifically proven” teaching techniques to help young children begin reading and keep them reading. (It is odd how the Bush administration accepts science in the things it wants to push and rejects science in the things it doesn't, but let's not go there today.)

Now a report from the Office of Inspector General — an independent agency within the Education Department — calls into question the program's credibility.

What an audit found was that those running Reading First had violated legal and ethical standards when it came to allocating money within the agency.

There is a certain irony here. For years conservatives have argued that the Education Department is a disaster waiting to happen and now that Republicans have taken it over, some among them are proving conservatives right.

But back to the point.

According to the internal review, the director of Reading First, Chris Doherty, was guilty of conflict of interest and willful mismanagement when he packed review panels with his supporters, made sure that money went to people who shared his views and attempted to dictate the curriculum schools were required to use — a requirement that would make publishers of that particular curriculum very rich.

Word from the Department is that Doherty is resigning, which he should. And if he does not, he should be fired.

Meanwhile Education Secretary Margaret Spellings confirmed the audit's findings by announcing that she will “spring into action” and adopt all the auditors' recommendations. She also announced that she would review all of the Reading First grants that Doherty's agency approved.

Which is probably the last we will hear from that. Doherty has been with the department for five years. Under his tenure hundreds, probably thousands, of grants have been funded, and now most of that money has been spent — in some cases, we should add, well spent. A federal grant is not necessarily a bad thing.

However, in addition to reviewing past allocations, Spellings should take a break from her efforts to create a lock-stop education system from kindergarten through college and focus instead on ways to keep what has happened in Reading First from happening again.

Get your own house in order before you invite others to come in.