|
As voters
prepare for the
2006 election,
there are many
solutions to a
variety of
concerns being
presented by
candidates – gas
prices, the war
in Iraq,
national
security, and
immigration to
name only a few.
While all
significant, we
must also
remember the
importance of
education, not
only as a
primary issue
for voters, but
also as
something worth
being extremely
proud of.
Education spans
our whole lives,
and, in many
respects, our
state and local
governments are
best suited to
determine the
details of how
our students are
educated. That
being said, the
federal
government plays
a significant
role in setting
the bar and
providing the
framework.
We first must
look to our
recent successes
in education
before looking
to what needs to
be done going
forward. One of
the biggest of
these successes
is the No Child
Left Behind Act
(NCLB). Over 50
years ago, the
country embraced
Brown v. Board
of Education,
which found the
doctrine of
“separate but
equal”
unconstitutional,
thus
guaranteeing
every American
student a seat
in the
classroom. While
progress has
been made since
the
Brown
decision, a huge
gap still
remains when it
comes to
ensuring all
children
actually learn.
The federal
government has
spent more than
$300 billion on
K-12 education
since 1965, yet
significant
academic
achievement gaps
between
disadvantaged
students and
their more
affluent peers
still exist in
key subjects
such as reading
and math.
On January 8,
2002, the NCLB
was signed into
law with strong
bipartisan
cooperation.
This law seeks
to close this
gap, and is
rooted in the
belief that all
students –
regardless of
race,
background,
income,
geography, or
disability – can
learn, and must
be given the
chance to do so.
For the past
four years, the
federal
government,
states, school
districts,
parents and
especially
students have
been dedicated
to reforms that
ensure no child
is limited. And
the progress
that was
intended when
the law was
enacted is being
made.
According to a
report by the
Council of the
Great City
Schools, our
nation’s urban
schools have
made gains in
both reading and
math since
enactment of
NCLB. Further,
urban school
officials credit
NCLB with
helping teachers
and school
officials raise
student
achievement.
“Our most recent
report attempted
to answer the
question, ‘Have
urban schools
improved student
achievement
since No Child
Left Behind was
enacted?’ The
answer appears
to be ‘yes,’”
stated Dr.
Michael Casserly,
executive
director of the
Council of the
Great City
Schools.
Under Republican
control, we have
coupled these
effective
reforms with
increased
funding. Since
Republicans took
control of the
House in 1995,
federal
education
funding has
increased by
nearly 150
percent from $23
billion in FY
1996 to $57
billion in FY
2006. Title I
aid for
disadvantaged
students, the
cornerstone of
NCLB, has
increased by 45
percent since
NCLB was signed
into law.
While NCLB is
awarded most
attention, we
must also
recognize other
education
accomplishments
over the past
several years.
These
accomplishments
highlight the
breadth of
education over a
lifetime, with
each piece
complimenting
the next. The
Republican
Congress has
sent expansive
reforms to the
Individuals with
Disabilities
Education Act
(IDEA) and Carl
D. Perkins
Vocational and
Technical
Education
Programs for
the President to
sign into law.
Since enactment
in 1975, IDEA
has paved the
way for millions
of students with
disabilities to
be awarded the
rights they
deserve within a
school. This has
lead to record
numbers of
students
completing
school and
ultimately
enrolling in an
institution of
higher
learning. In
2004, we built
upon past
successes to
ensure that
children with
disabilities are
guaranteed a
quality
education based
on high academic
standards, as
well as to
strengthen
IDEA’s focus on
the educational
results of
students with
disabilities.
We have also
enacted reforms
to strengthen
career and
technical
education, to
ensure students
have the skills
necessary to
enter the
workforce or
continue to an
institution of
higher learning.
Vocational or
career education
plays a vital
role in our
educational
system by
working to
prepare youth
and adults for
the future by
building their
academic and
technical skills
in preparation
for
postsecondary
education and/or
employment. I
believe strongly
that the reforms
we passed go a
long way in
driving program
improvement and
ultimate success
for students
across the
country.
We clearly have
a track record
of success. We
now need the
opportunity to
continue this
reform effort in
improving our
other education
programs, such
as Higher
Education, Head
Start, American
Competitiveness
and Workforce
Investment and
the
reauthorization
of No Child Left
Behind.
Every man, woman
and child
deserves the
right to
succeed. And
when they are
armed with a
quality
education, their
chances improve
dramatically.
The Republican
Party remains
committed to
improving our
schools,
attracting and
retaining highly
qualified
teachers and
encouraging
parental
involvement.
These children
are our nation’s
future, and we
are depending on
them.
RF
Michael N.
Castle
represents the
State of
Delaware in the
U.S. House of
Representatives.
He serves as
Chairman of the
House Education
Reform
Subcommittee. |
