Opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act has created some strange
bedfellows, uniting GOP conservatives who resent what they regard as
federal intrusion into a state area of responsibility; educators and
liberals who object to standardized tests and more stringent teacher
qualifications; and politicians from both parties who resent unfunded
mandates, or federal initiatives that are not backed with enough
money, in such areas as health care, welfare and homeland security.
The government insists it is providing enough money to meet the
requirements of the law.
But many states dispute that.
William Mathis, a local school superintendent and education finance
professor in Vermont, reviewed cost estimates drawn up by 18 states
and found that they need, on average, 28% more a year than they are
getting from the government to meet the law's requirements.
Federal aid to local school districts totals $32 billion a year, up
from $24 billion before No Child Left Behind was signed into law in
2002.
In Utah, state School Superintendent Steven O. Laing said full
compliance could cost Utah $1 billion a year, or about 10 times more
than the state receives in federal funding for the program.
David Shreve, an education adviser to the National Conference of State
Legislatures, called the law an example of Congress passing a lofty
piece of legislation and leaving states and local educators with the
messy reality of trying to comply.
"We can't pass a law here and wave a magic wand and drop some fairy
dust and make it happen," Shreve said.
Other states protesting the law include:
• Virginia, where the GOP-controlled House of Delegates approved in a
98-1 vote last month a resolution calling on Congress to exempt
Virginia without penalty from "the most sweeping intrusions into state
and local control of education in the history of the United States."
• Hawaii, where lawmakers approved a resolution last year asking state
education administrators to consider giving up No Child Left Behind
funding until Congress provides more money.
• New Hampshire, where state officials are fighting the U.S. Education
Department over who pays for student testing after legislators reduced
state funding for testing to just $1.
• Arizona and New Mexico, where lawmakers earlier this month
introduced legislation to exempt their states from No Child Left
Behind.
• Vermont, which passed a law last June prohibiting school districts
from incurring any costs under No Child Left Behind that are not paid
for by the federal government. So far, five Vermont districts have
said no thanks to the program, giving up small amounts of federal
assistance.
From USA TODAY, 2/17/04:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2004-02-17-states-ed_x.htm
States are rebelling against new federal education rules
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) --
With Utah in the vanguard, about a dozen states are rebelling against
President Bush's centerpiece education law, the No Child Left Behind
Act, complaining it imposes costly new obligations without providing
the money to carry them out.
The Republican-controlled Utah House voted 64-8 last week not to
comply with any provisions for which the federal government has not
supplied enough money.
The bill, which now goes to the Senate, represents the strongest
position yet taken by lawmakers around the country.
Elsewhere, lawmakers have passed or introduced legislation or
nonbinding resolutions challenging the 2002 law's tougher standards
for student testing and teacher credentials.
Many legislators are angry over what they see as a federal takeover of
education that leaves states to pay the bill.
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How many balls is it now that Bush has dropped.
Harry
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