This letter to the editor by Eric Earling appeared in the Idaho State Journal on May 27, 2005.
A May 4 article in the Journal contained incorrect information about No Child Left Behind, an important federal education reform effort. Pocatello School Board member Terry Anderson was quoted using the overused label of "unfunded mandate." In reality, Idaho is receiving record federal funding to support K-12 education.
In President Bush's next budget, Idaho will receive more than $94 million to specifically support No Child Left Behind, a 66 percent increase since 2001, when No Child Left Behind was passed to reform existing federal education law. In addition to that funding, Idaho will also receive more than $52 million to support special education, an 83 percent increase since 2001. There is nothing unfunded about that total of more than $146 million.
States choose to participate in No Child Left Behind and receive this money. In return, states are asked to set their own standards for their students, to select a test to measure if those students are reaching those standards, and to be accountable for those results. Accountability for results when spending taxpayers' money is simple common sense.
Plus, these standards are not complicated. It's making sure for instance that third-grade students can read and do math at a third-grade level by the end of the school year. Those are goals most Idahoans already embrace.
I know that for a fact because I visited Lewis and Clark Elementary School last year to honor first-grade teacher Mary Jo Pearson as an American Star Teacher, for outstanding work meeting the goals of No Child Left Behind.
The facts are clear No Child Left Behind supports reasonable goals, set by the states themselves, to improve education for all kids. And the federal government is providing a record amount of money to support those goals, and to give children the education we as citizens want them to receive.
Eric Earling
Deputy Secretary's Regional Representative
U.S. Department of Education
Seattle, Washington
 |
||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| |
||||||||||||
