IMPROVING EDUCATION REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY

September 2004

Past Columns

It’s that time again. As families along the Foothills prepare for the back to school crunch, I thought it would be a good time to provide an update on some of the things Congress and the President have done to strengthen education.

Under President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the federal government is providing far more money for K-12 education than at any other time in our country’s history. At the same time NCLB reforms are giving local schools more flexibility than ever in spending those funds. According to U.S. Department of Education data, federal K-12 spending has increased more than 34 percent since NCLB became law, from $28 billion in 2001 to more than $37 billion in 2004.

Among the areas that have received tremendous boosts in federal funding are Head Start and teacher recruitment programs. Federal funding for Head Start has nearly doubled since 1995, from, $3.8 billion in 1996 to $6.8 billion in 2004. Federal teacher quality grants have increased to $2.9 billion, a 35 percent increase in this type of funding since President Bush took office. These grants are specifically designed to recruit high quality teachers for areas in need of highly skilled educators. When coupled with increased local flexibility, I am confident these levels provide more than enough funding for states like California to improve student achievement.

During this Congress, the House has approved several bills that improve portions of the Higher Education Act. These bills will strengthen teacher colleges through increased accountability, and expand loan forgiveness for math, science and special education teachers. This is especially important given the decreasing number of students who are choosing the hard sciences as an area of study.

It is also important to note that Congress has provided much needed peace of mind to many of our troops with passage of the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act. This legislation allows the Secretary of Education to excuse military personnel from their federal student loan obligations while they are on active duty. It is especially timely given the strains many military families are facing with our commitments abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For America to compete in the 21st century, we must continue to implement the NCLB reforms. This means the federal government, states, local education agencies, community organizations, and parents must all work in partnership.