Bill signed to 'close the gap' in education

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February 2002

Bill signed to 'close the gap' in education
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Bill signed to 'close the gap' in education
Public education may be in for another major overhaul because of new legislation requiring public schools nationwide to administer standardized tests in reading, math, and eventually science. Schools in poor communities will be eligible for additional federal aid, but schools that consistently fail to meet national standards may see reductions in their federal Title I support as that m oney begins to be diverted to alternative educational options or through outright student transfers to other public schools.

Once a school is identified as failing, parents will be allowed to transfer their child to a better-performing public or or use the school's federal money to provide supplemental educational services—including tutoring, after school services, and summer school programs—which they select for their children.

A twenty percent increase in funds will be added to Title I, a federal mechanism for equalizing funds among the richest and poorest schools. The New York Times reports the bill will actually mean a thirty percent increase in Title I money for poor schools in most cities. For example, New York City’s poorest schools will see an increase from $492 million to $636 million. The law also sets requirements for schools to reach 100 percent proficiency in reading within twelve years and close the gaps between minority and non-minority students, as well as between students of polarized economic status.

In total, the education bill allocates $26.5 billion next year for elementary and secondary education, a 43 percent increase over this year’s spending. The education bill, a centerpiece of Bush's domestic agenda, is widely seen as the most sweeping federal school legislation since President Lyndon Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1965.

Members of the National Education Association wonder if the money will actually materialize in time to have a real impact on educational standards. The NEA's Becky Fleischauer points out that the administration's new budget proposals don't include more spending for many of the provisions that the president just signed into law. "For example," Fleischauer writes in an e-mail, "the new law has strict teacher quality requirements, but the budget freezes teacher quality money. Further, Title I funding for the neediest students is $5 billion below the amount authorized in the newly passed education law.

"At a time when state budget surpluses have evaporated, this is extremely disappointing."

"I decided to sign this bill in one of the most important places in America—a public school," said Bush during a January 8 signing ceremony at a public high school in Hamilton, Ohio. "Today begins a new era, a new time for public education in our country. Our schools will have higher expectations—we believe every child can learn. From this day forward, all students will have a better chance to learn, to excel, and to live out their dreams."

The NEA says the bill has the “right goals, but the wrong means." Despite the increases in federal aid, the NEA labels the bill “incomplete, arguing that the new federal mandates should be accompanied by even more federal dollars, particularly for special education needs. Other critics of the new law say children in poor urban school district often have little choice but to attend low-performing schools regardless of the act's "choice" provisions. NEA president Bob Chase commented that the burden of unfunded mandates included in the act is especially troubling during a period of recession and state budget deficits.

According to the National Governors' Association, states now face a $35 billion shortfall in the wake of a national recession. "Considering this bleak fiscal climate, these unfunded and underfunded mandates are irresponsible," said Chase. "The broad policy goals are laudable, but the lack of support to states suffering an economic decline is lamentable.

“This bill imposes multi-year mandates on states and schools without providing multi-year funding,” Chase said. The NEA is urging Congress to allocate even more funds for education in 2002.—Tara Dix

For more information:
Impact on autistic students
National Education Association
A report on the bill from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

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