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ask.heather@mail.house.gov
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In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Wilson Concerned About Roadblocks For APS Parents and Students |
March 29, 2002 |
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Lawmaker flags letter sent to parents about federal assistance
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson expressed serious concern today about potential roadblocks the Albuquerque Public School system has erected to truly giving parents some control over their children’s education.
While implementing key portions of HR 1, the No Child Left Behind Act, APS administrators have chosen to give parents a very narrow window in which to decide whether to transfer their children to another school, have not pointed out that parents can also pick a charter school, and neglected to tell parents that other assistance could be made available to their children, including tutoring and after school programs. The school system also decided to deny parents the opportunity to indicate a preference in schools they would like their children to transfer to, despite the fact that students in other schools have that right under New Mexico state law. Wilson expressed her concern that denying that choice to poor students while providing it to others could be discriminatory.
The new federal provisions and resources are meant primarily to help low income students and their families and apply to parents of students in schools determined to be “in need of improvement.”
“I hope that the Albuquerque Public School system will make every effort to provide true options for parents and students in the 17 public schools that are not meeting standards in the Albuquerque area,” Wilson told the three APS administrators currently leading the school system until a superintendent is hired. “It is unfair to give parents just one week - over spring break, no less - to make a very important decision about their children’s education.”
APS administrators this week sent a letter to parents of students attending schools currently on probation. Under new federal education legislation, those parents now have the right to send their students to another public school and the districts will be responsible for covering transportation costs. Those students, after the school has been on the “needs improvement” list for three years or more, can also receive educational assistance, including tutoring, after school services, and summer school programs.
“More importantly APS’ decision to offer parents the right to transfer but only “sight unseen” is potentially discriminatory,” said Wilson. “It seems that, under the current guidelines outlined in APS’ letter to parents… the only students in Albuquerque who don’t have an option about what school to transfer to are low income students attending schools that need improvement. These are students whose families most often can’t afford transportation and may not be able to afford to move to a neighborhood in which they would like to send their kids to school.”
Wilson’s concern comes as school districts across the country begin to implement key reforms provided for in HR 1, No Child Left Behind Act. That overwhelmingly bi-partisan federal legislation effected the most sweeping reforms in federal education policy in decades and was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President George Bush.
March 28, 2002
Mrs. Elizabeth Everitt
Acting Superintendent
Albuquerque Public School System
725 University Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Dear Mrs. Everitt,
I am writing to you to express my concern about the way Albuquerque Public Schools is implementing the No Child Left Behind Act.
One of the most important parts of No Child Left Behind is empowering low-income parents to transfer their children if their neighborhood school is not meeting state standards. I hope that the Albuquerque Public School system will make every effort to provide true options for parents and students in the 17 public schools that are not meeting standards in the Albuquerque area.
After reading the notice that was sent this week to those parents and reviewing Andrea Schoellkopf’s article (Choices Left Out of APS Transfers) in Tuesday morning’s Albuquerque Journal, I am concerned that the school system is managing this program to minimize inconvenience for the district rather than to help parents and children.
It is unfair to give parents just one week-over spring break, no less-to make a very important decision about their children’s education.
More importantly, APS’ decision to offer parents the right to transfer but only “sight unseen” is potentially discriminatory. It seems that, under the current guidelines outlined in APS’ letter to parents and reiterated in the Journal’s article, the only students in Albuquerque who don’t have an option about what school to transfer to are low income students attending schools that need improvement. These are students whose families most often can’t afford transportation and may not be able to afford to move to a neighborhood in which they would like to send their kids to school.
It’s also important to note that parents have the right to transfer their kids to a charter school, which is not mentioned in the letter APS sent to parents.
APS should also let parents know that, after their children’s school has failed to meet standards for three years, the federal government will make available to local school districts resources for tutoring and after and before-school programs. That information is critical because parents may opt to stay at their neighborhood school with the promise that the school will improve, or their children will get additional and personal educational assistance.
I know that we have some great public schools in Albuquerque, and great teachers at schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students. Many parents will choose to stay at an improving school. Few parents would trust the bureaucracy or a computer program to find the right school for their child. I know I wouldn’t. I encourage you to implement the law as intended and trust parents to make the right informed choices for their children.
Soon, Secretary Rod Paige of the Department of Education will visit Albuquerque to celebrate what No Child Left Behind means for parents and students. Officials with the federal Department of Education are in the process of completing resource kits to help local school districts and parents better understand what the No Child Left Behind Act means for New Mexico.
Quite frankly, dealing with the school system can be very daunting for a parent and we should do everything we can to make that easier. That means giving parents and students choices-and ample time to make those choices.
Mrs. Everitt, we want to leave no child behind. That means giving parents the options and the resources to give their children wings for their dreams. I know that you and the hundreds of teachers and support personnel working for the Albuquerque Public School system share that goal. I look forward to continuing our work to that end.
Sincerely,
Heather Wilson
Member of Congress
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