THE NEW secretary of education, Margaret Spellings, is sending some welcome signals that her department may take a more pragmatic approach than that of her predecessor in implementing the No Child Left Behind law. In some recent appearances and interviews, Ms. Spellings has let it be known that states seeking at least some flexibility in the onerous law may find more sympathy at the department, instead of having to complain to Congress. She's not flinching on NCLB's core strategy of annual assessments, but Ms. Spellings is right to try to work with states to iron out differences.