Issue Position: Building and Maintaining Quality Public Schools - No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
Six years ago, we made a decision as a nation to raise our expectations of what America's schools and schoolchildren could achieve. We made a decision to insist upon high standards.
I think we can all agree with the intent of the current version of NCLB, which is to ensure that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education with increased achievement for all students. Unfortunately, the devil is in the details and problems have emerged.
For example, the federal government has yet to fully fund NCLB, falling about $15 billion short in Fiscal Year 2007 alone and $55 billion short since the law was enacted. To address this problem, I introduced legislation, H.R. 684, the Keeping our Promises to America's Children Act, which would allow a state education agency or school district to suspend implementation of NCLB provisions until it is fully funded. We must provide the resources and support our schools need to meet this new standard of excellence.
I also conducted an online survey of teachers and administrators and hosted several community forums in April 2007, to hear directly from you about the issues you're facing with NCLB. While the news isn't all bad, it's certainly not all good, either.
As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize NCLB, we must address the serious concerns raised by people around the country so that we can ensure that we have an education law that treats schools and children fairly, that provides educators and administrators the flexibility they need to meet high standards, and that delivers to schools the resources they need to improve and succeed.