Federal lawmakers again gut education funding
Critical education programs that were already struggling with inadequate resources will hurt even more under an appropriations bill approved by a House committee Tuesday (June 13, 2006). The bill would shortchange education by billions of dollars, including a $500 million cut for schools struggling to comply with the unfunded mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act.
“Dollar for dollar there’s no better investment in our children and the future of this country than quality public schools,” said Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association. “These cuts take away the basic tools and resources educators need to get the job done. Lawmakers want results, but students can’t be expected to succeed if lawmakers turn their backs on them like this.”
The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education on a voice vote. Lawmakers failed to maintain the additional $7 billion in funding approved when the Senate voted 73 to 27 to pass the Specter-Harkin amendment in March.
Lawmakers cut spending on NCLB for the second consecutive year. The bill reduced spending by almost $500 million, on top of last year’s cut of over $1 billion. If approved, the appropriations bill would mean spending on NCLB has been decreased by 6.2% over two years. Overall NCLB funding is now less than what was provided four years ago, in the 2003 fiscal year.
States and schools are struggling to meet the NCLB requirement of having 100% of teachers “highly qualified,” yet the bill cuts funding for teacher quality grants by $300 million. NEA noted that cutting funding for the program designed to help teachers meet the administration’s goal makes it harder for them to do just that.
The cuts come at a time when there is broad agreement that teacher quality is the main factor in improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps between student populations.
The bill includes a few improvements for education, including a $100 increase in the maximum Pell Grant to $4,150. And $200 million was allocated for school improvement grants, which help schools that have failed to meet adequate yearly progress for two consecutive years.
“It defies logic how lawmakers want schools to do even more with fewer and fewer resources,” Weaver said. “We all share responsibility for quality public schools: educators and students must bring enthusiasm to the classroom, and lawmakers need to live up to their end of the bargain by providing adequate resources.”
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Posted June 14, 2006