CHICAGO,
IL -- One of the most pressing challenges facing our nation at the dawn
of this new century is finding ways to improve our public education system.
Already, we have made considerable strides by working to pass an education
package that we hope will reform and improve overall student performance
and close the achievement gap between rich and poor students in America's
more than 90,000 public schools. Congress, in a bipartisan effort,
mixed innovative new programs with increases in existing programs to form
a package that provides a 20% overall increase in public education funding.
I am glad to have supported this package because it focuses on maintaining
high standards in every classroom, strengthening teacher and principal
quality, supporting a safe, healthy, disciplined, and drug-free learning
environment and improving student performance. The next step would
be to ensure that Congress pays for these increases. I say start
with putting on hold the tax cut for the rich.
But
I am not satisfied. This bill was a good first step, but there is
much more to be done. Our efforts to create new ways to educate our
students will mean nothing if we continue to send them to buildings that
expose them to serious health risks. We cannot educate 21st century students
in 19th century schools. Educators teach and students learn best in environments
that are comfortable, healthy, and in good repair. Studies indicate
that student achievement is greater and attendance higher when these conditions
are met. It is absurd that the federal government has opted to take a back
seat in funding school renovations and school building and improvement
projects. I say fund these initiatives by asking the top 1% to wait
on another tax cut.
A
study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
revealed that the unmet need for school construction and renovation is
estimated to be $127 billion. American kindergarten through grade 12 schools
spend over $6 billion a year on energy costs, which is more than is spent
on books and computers combined. Over half of the nation’s K through
12th grade schools are more than 40 years old and in need of renovation,
and 6,000 new schools will be required over the next 10 years to accommodate
the growing number of students. In many parts of the country, children
are attending schools in trailers or dilapidated buildings. This
is a national disgrace. We cannot expect to get real results from educational
reforms when poor environments stand in the way of learning.
We
do not have to look very far for evidence. As many of you know, the
roof buckled at Nettlehorst School in Chicago two weeks ago. Luckily,
it collapsed when the school was empty and no one was hurt. Imagine
the tragedy that might have occurred had that school been filled with students
and teachers. We cannot wait to respond to situations like this until
after something happens. We must detect, correct, and prevent these dangers
before they become disasters. What’s more, a National Education Association
study reported that 70% of Illinois’ schools have at least one unsatisfactory
environmental condition and $9.2 billion is needed for infrastructure repairs
in our state. And we can begin paying for this by giving to local
schools instead of trying to send a $1.4 billion check to IBM and $254
million to ENRON.
All
this combined with the fact that a 1995 US Government Accounting Office
(GAO) report states that, “school buildings may be unsafe or harmful to
children’s health.” The GAO is sounding the alarm, its time to heed
their call. The federal government cannot sit and watch while our
schools fall apart and expose students to toxins that cause debilitating
diseases. We need to work to provide safe, environmentally sound and efficient
schools for 21st century students now.
The
recently passed education package contains the Healthy, High Performance
Schools Program. This provision establishes a grant program for States
to provide for renovation projects to make existing elementary and secondary
school buildings energy-efficient and environmentally healthy. Congress
is finally acknowledging the fact that schools are not environmentally
sound. I am pleased that this provision made it into the bill, but
the law only authorizes the establishment of programs. Congress needs to
back the commitment with funds.
The
President’s FY2003 budget will call for increased defense spending and
acceleration of tax cuts for the rich, any funds leftover will be spread
thinly, barely allowing us to fund priorities. We must provide better,
safer environments for our students and we need the resources to make it
happen. In an effort to generate more funds for these kinds of improvements,
I introduced the “First Things First Act.” This bill will delay
the tax cut to the wealthiest recipients until we fund the priorities that
we know people care about, including education`.
I
am also working with environmental groups to develop comprehensive legislation
and initiatives to ensure that school environments are safe. I hope we
all stay committed to making our schools environment better, so that our
students have a chance to be the best they can be. |