Parent Involvement Critical to Successful Public Schools, Witnesses Tell Education Subcommittee
May 16, 2012
Press Release
Roundup: Serious questions raised about GOP efforts to rewrite education law
Feb 8, 2012 Issues: Education, Elementary and Secondary Education, ESEA
Tomorrow morning, it is expected that Chairman Kline will announce his intentions to advance highly partisan legislation to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind. Now that his draft proposals have been public, we should take a step back and examine how these draft proposals fail to live up to our nation’s responsibility to ensure that every child has access to a quality education, regardless of their background or the zip code where they may live.
One thing is clear: The Republicans’ draft bills have been successful in bringing dozens of groups from civil rights organizations to teachers’ unions to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce together to raise serious concerns on the impact of these proposal would have on our nation’s children.
We’ve seen concerns raised by nearly 40 organizations – representing a broad cross section of civil rights, disability, business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and education organizations – calling the GOP draft legislation a “rollback” that “undermines the core American value of equal opportunity of education” embodied in Brown v. Board of Education.
Just last week, seven local education groups including the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National School Boards Association sent a letter to Chairman Kline outlining problematic provisions with their draft bills. A top point of concern for the groups is the elimination of the maintenance of effort provisions in current law that ensure all children have access to a quality education regardless of background or zip code.
The National Education Association, representing more than 3 million educators across the nation, called the Republican draft proposals a failure in addressing equity issues adequately. The group highlights that the proposals “do not push states enough to narrow achievement gaps; provide equal access to quality education; and ensure that state standards and assessment and accountability systems work for students.”
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, a group of national disability organizations including advocates for children and their families, special education teachers, and state directors for special education - expressed concerns with fundamental issues in the proposals that "seriously undermine the progress and academic achievement of students with disabilities."
The Center for American Progress (CAP) rightly points out that the proposals undermine fiscal equity as well. Under the guise of increased flexibility, the draft proposals shortchange low-income and minority students and repeatedly supports moving funds from high-poverty schools to wealthier schools. The New America Foundation echoes this sentiment and has raised concerns that the legislation would eliminate key measures in the law that ensure that states and school districts are accountable to students and taxpayers for their use of federal tax dollars.
Voices likes these are crucial in crafting education policy, because they remind us that students need to be first and foremost in any discussion regarding education. Unequal educational opportunities is why we as a nation got involved in the first place. This is precisely why should continue to demand accountability for the resources we spend on education to ensure that every child has access to a quality education.
Instead of pushing a partisan bill down a predictable path of failure, it’s time that Congress come together to get things done on behalf of all students. Democrats and Republicans working together is the only way forward for our nation’s children, our economy and our national competitiveness.
You can also follow developments on Twitter (@edworkforcedems) or on Facebook.
More recent blog posts:
NEA: GOP ESEA Drafts "Fall Short" on Equity in Education for All Students
CAP: GOP ESEA drafts shortchange low-income students and schools
ESEA Reauthorization: Everyone's cards are on the table. Now let's make a deal.
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