(Washington, DC) In regard to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Conference Report (H.R. 1), Congresswoman Corrine Brown made the following statement:

"I strongly support this education bill. Unlike what the state government in Florida is doing right now, cutting their education budget by $15 million in Duval County alone, here in Congress, we are increasing funding for education programs. This bill authorizes $13.5 billion in FY 02 for Title I grants to school districts and increases amounts for each of the succeeding four years, and by FY 2006, it will authorize $25 billion. Overall, the bill increases federal funding under ESEA by $3.7 billion and funding for Title I, the main education program for the disadvantaged, by $1.7 billion.

I wholeheartedly support the goals of raising student achievement, increasing accountability, and improving teacher quality. This bill has targeted unprecedented federal dollars to students who most need it, while simultaneously requiring qualified teachers in the classroom.

This bill should help return our school system to the original goals of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act by ensuring that all children have an opportunity to learn, regardless of income, background or race."