Straight Talk With Sam - Investing in Education

Volume 4, Issue 36, September 6, 2004

STRAIGHT TALK WITH SAM

Investing in Education

In Congress, I have been a firm supporter of school districts spending federal dollars on their own priorities. I authored the bill that put 95 cents of every dollar spent into the classroom. It is important that communities decide what is in their schools best interests and not a Washington bureaucrat.

While most education funding comes from the state and local revenue, the federal government also provides critical funding for public schools. Since 1996, Congress has increased federal education spending by more than 130 percent. Since I first began serving the Sixth District in 2001, Congress and President Bush have increased federal education funding more than the previous eight years combined. In addition, I am leading the charge to get Missouri even more funding for our schools this year.

The No Child Left Behind Act is a plan that demands accountability and progress in our schools. Standards have been set by the state of Missouri and our teachers and students are working to make the grade. Test scores in Missouri were recently released and many areas showed improvement.

By demanding accountability and progress, teachers and parents now know what areas need improvement. The combination of dollars going directly to the classroom and yearly results helps take the guesswork out of where more resources need to be spent. This allows local educators do what they do best-educate our children.