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Our education system is designed to keep the federal role fairly limited, with only seven percent of funding for elementary and secondary education coming from the federal government. The rationale for this is simple: if the federal government takes a more active role in funding, a more active role in what should be a local decision isn't far behind. This would be a disaster for our educational system -- approaches that work in Los Angeles won't necessarily work in Laramie. Local communities and states need to keep control over schools, and with it the responsibility for funding those schools. Local control is the strength of our current system. Working with President Bush to increase federal education spending, while at the same time increasing accountability and flexibility for the states, is one of our highest priorities. The final fiscal year 2002 appropriations for education included historic increases. President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget proposal builds upon the federal commitment to education with requests for $1billion increases for special education and low-income students. Additionally, the Congress approved and the President signed into law in January 2002, an unprecedented overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This legislation increases flexibility for state and localities in how it spends federal dollars, empowers parents with options if their child is trapped in a failing school, holds schools accountable and provides additional resources for rural schools. Although there's no doubt additional improvements can be made, we must not lose sight of the fact that we do a good job at what most nations won't even attempt to do -- educating each and every one of its citizens. My wife, Susan, has been a public educator for over twenty years, so I'm very familiar with the daily struggle taking place in our schools, as well as all the good things that are happening. There are a lot of success stories. I'm particularly proud of the quality of schools in Wyoming and am continually impressed by the ability of Wyoming students. I see many of them not only when I visit their schools, but also when they visit our nation's Capitol as members of Close-Up, the Congressional Youth Leadership Foundation and FFA, or as essay and science contest winners. If our kids are any indication of our future success, and I believe they are, it's clear Wyoming has a bright future.
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