Dear Friend, As we begin the fall season, and yet another school year is already well underway, I would like to share with you recent congressional action to help our schools and teachers provide their students a quality education. I believe that now more than ever our country should make a substantial investment in our children and our schools.

Title V of the No Child Left Behind Act provides state grants to assist local education reform efforts. These funds are crucial in implementing promising education reform programs, providing a continuing source of innovation and educational improvement, helping to meet the needs of at-risk and high-need students, and support programs to improve school, student, and teacher performance. The program achieves these goals by using a formula based on states' relative share of the school age population.

I am a cosponsor of H.R. 785, the Teacher Tax Relief Act, which would extend and expand the current deduction for educators' out-of-pocket classroom supply expenses and help to compensate teachers for these significant classroom expenses. As you know, teachers spend significant out-of-pocket money for classroom supplies, often at considerable personal sacrifice. The average elementary educator spends $52 annually, with first-year teachers spending over $700 per year.

An above-the-line deduction for certain classroom expenses paid or incurred during the school year by eligible elementary and secondary school (K-12) teachers, among other educators, was authorized in the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002. The classroom expense deduction was made available to eligible educators for tax years 2002 and 2003. It expired on January 1, 2004. The Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 (H.R. 1308), passed by the House and Senate on September 23, 2004, extends the deduction from its expiration date through December 31, 2005. President Bush signed H.R. 1308 into law on October 4, 2004.

Unfortunately, other education programs have not been as lucky. The No Child Left Behind Act is funded at $9.4 billion below the authorized level; the budget provides $24.9 billion for programs funded under NCLB, which is $9.4 billion below the amount Congress authorized for 2005 even though it is an increase of $448 million (1.8 percent) over the 2004 enacted level.

I am concerned that federal funding shortfalls combined with increased mandates are making the job of local school districts harder in a time when state budget is also facing deficits.

I want to make the NCLB law work. It is our duty to give our schools the tools they need to meet the challenges imposed as part of NCLB. That is why I introduced H.R. 2394, the Keeping our Promises to America's Children Act of 2003. This legislation will defer the accountability requirements of NCLB until the law is fully funded. I believe our schools can measure up if we provide them with the resources promised in NCLBA.

Access to a quality education is essential to our continued success and prosperity as a nation which is why I am dedicated to doing everything I can to make sure our schools and teachers get the financial assistance they need.

Sincerely,

Dennis Moore
Member of Congress