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| NM Charters Receive $5.7 Million |
August 27, 2003 |
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| Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson was joined today by a senior Bush administration official to announce a $5.7 million grant for charter schools in New Mexico. The funding, awarded to the New Mexico Department of Education, can be used for expenses such as textbooks and equipment for classrooms, computers, professional development for teachers, furniture for classrooms (desks/chairs/bookshelves), consulting services for IDEA compliance, or ELA program planning.
Wilson and Susan Sclafani, Counselor to U.S. Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, presented NM Education Department officials with a ceremonial check for the funding.
"Charter schools provide a choice for parents within the public school system. I hope this helps more of them to succeed and meet the needs of our children," said Wilson.
Statewide, New Mexico has 31 Charter Schools, with 15 in Albuquerque. Four more New Mexico charter schools are expected to open this school year, two of those in Albuquerque. New Mexico is one of only 7 states receiving this award. Other states include Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Carolina, Alaska, Iowa, and New Hampshire. The total awarded nationally under these Charter Schools Grants is $21.8 million. The No Child Left Behind Charter school program provided $200 million this year to support charter school growth in 39 of the 40 states with chartering statutes, including New Mexico. Each year, these funds support more than a thousand charter schools across the country in the planning, design, and implementation of their programs.
Sclafani is in Albuquerque at Wilson`s request to answer questions from Albuquerque Public School administrators about key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. APS officials expressed to Wilson their frustration in receiving guidance from the federal government on implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. In response, Wilson arranged for the federal Department of Education to send Sclafani to Albuquerque for today`s meeting. Wilson hopes this will open a dialogue between the school district and federal education officials about implementation of the No Child left Behind Act.
"This is the most important federal education bill we`ve passed in twenty years," said Wilson, known in her district for her commitment to high quality public education. "A third of our kids in Albuquerque don`t graduate from high school, and that just doesn`t cut it. Every child has to graduate from high school with the ability to read and write and work together and hold a good job. I`m committed to working at the federal level to help make that happen, and today is a good step forward with increased federal funding for charter schools and direct technical assistance to APS administrators."
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