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| Providing a Good Education for All Children |
December 18, 2001 |
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Dear Friends,
I first met Julian Garza at a spelling bee at Alameda Elementary School. I was just starting out as a small businesswoman in Albuquerque. He owned (and still owns) several McDonald`s restaurants.
Julian is passionate about education, particularly early childhood education. So am I.
On Monday, we sat together again for lunch. He`s the incoming chairman of the the Hispano Chamber of Commerce. I was there to talk about jobs -- securing jobs for those who need them and helping families of those who have lost jobs while they are looking for new ones. But, over lunch, we talked about schools.
Last week, Congress passed the most significant education reform bill in 20 years. I expect the President will sign it before Christmas.
It increases federal aid to education from $18.5 billion last year to $26.5 billion this year, tripling the funds for reading in the first three grades.
It gives much more flexibility to principals and school districts to use federal funds creatively, but holds them accountable for results, particularly student performance in reading and math.
It requires a lot more information for parents and empowers them to use that information to help their children. If a public school fails to meet state standards, parents may enroll their children in another public school.
The longer a school doesn`t meet standards, the more choices parents have, including use of $500 to $1,000 per child for summer school, tutoring or after school programs.
The jobs of the 21st century will require more education and training than our parents and grandparents needed. As a community, we cannot afford to have one third of our children drop out of high school. We must do better. The No Child Left Behind Act will help us to do so.
Have a wonderful holiday,
P.S. I hope to take some time off with my family over the holidays. My weekly postcard will be back in the New Year. |
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