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| Wilson touts Federal Education bill |
December 14, 2001 |
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| Lawmaker pushed help for Charter Schools
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson today visited with Albuquerque high school students and spoke about the bipartisan education reform bill that passed the U.S. House this week and should soon be on its way to President Bush for his signature. The conference report for HR 1, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, passed the House yesterday 381 to 41.
The final version of the bill includes two Wilson-authored provisions to bolster charter schools, including matching grants to help with capital expenses, and a continuation of the Charter School Facility Financing Demonstration Project that Wilson successfully got funded last year.
Visiting with students at the Robert F. Kennedy Charter School in Albuquerque, Wilson underscored her view that education is a path to success, and that every high school student should focus on academic success.
“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. “But why does it matter? Why should we care so much about education? A third of our kids in Albuquerque don’t graduate from high school. For our grandparents, that was probably okay, because there were still jobs you could get without that high school diploma. Today, that doesn’t cut it. What was good enough for our parents and our grandparents isn’t good enough for our children. And every child has to graduate from high school being able to read and write and work together and hold a good job. And that’s what this bill is about.”
Wilson has visited more than 100 schools in her district and runs a unique high school internship program in her Albuquerque office where participants learn basic office skills.
“Education is more important than ever,” continued Wilson. “America is the land of the free. One of the things that sets us apart, that makes us the great country we are, is a free and quality education for every child, no matter your background or what neighborhood you live in. We have to continue to put our resources into our future. We have to continue to give our children wings for their dreams.”
HELP FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS
Wilson’s charter school grant provision gives states or local districts matching grants over a five year transition period if they equalize funding for buildings and capital expenses for charter schools on a per pupil basis. Most states allow operating funds to go to charter schools but very few make any provision for capital funds. One of the biggest barriers for charter schools is building or leasing space. For charter schools in New Mexico, rent has to come out of the per-pupil operating money. Regular public schools get their buildings paid for separately.
"Some states are considering formulas to make financing for public charter schools fairer. This federal program will help ease the transition for states to move in that direction," Wilson said.
The final education bill will also continue for two more years the Charter School Facility Financing Demonstration Project that Wilson sponsored and got funded last year. The Charter School Facility Financing Demonstration Project would fund three pilot projects that come up with innovative approaches to finance charter school construction. The financing mechanisms could be revolving loan funds, loan guarantees, or other mechanisms to reduce the cost of borrowing money to build or refurbish space for charter schools. Wilson`s office has been encouraging New Mexico Charter Schools and financial groups to apply to be a pilot site.
“Education is more important than ever,” said Wilson. “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.”
Charter schools were created to improve student achievement, enhance parental and student choice in public schools, and help promote educational reform -- mirroring the goals that HR 1 seeks to achieve. There is a movement in the growth of charter schools in the past few years. Currently New Mexico has eleven operating charter schools and an additional nine schools are expected to open this year alone. This is not unique to New Mexico, but is a growing trend throughout the country.
Recognizing the importance of charter schools, currently, more than 36 states have charter school legislation. Each community determines the needs which charter schools address, such as smaller school size, reduced teacher pupil ratios, identifying a specific population that needs to be served, and providing a safe and unique learning environment.
THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT OF 2001
Authorizes $26.5 billion in 2002 for K-12 education - about $8 billion more than this year.
Requires annual state tests in reading and math for every child in grades three through eight beginning in 2004-05 school year. Schools whose scores fail to improve two years in a row could receive more federal aid. If scores still fail to improve, low-income students can receive funding for tutoring or transportation to another public school. A school in which scores don`t improve over six years could be restaffed. In schools already considered poor performers, parents could receive tutoring or transportation funds as early as this fall.
Requires schools to raise all students to reading and math proficiency in the next 12 years. Schools must also close gaps in scores between wealthy and poor students and white and minority students.
Allows churches or other religious groups to provide tutoring and after-school programs.
Requires states to ensure within four years that all teachers are qualified to teach in their subject area. States could require teachers to pass subject tests or major in their field in college.
Allows school districts to spend federal teacher-quality funds on training, hiring or higher salaries for teachers.
Requires schools to develop periodic "report cards" showing a school`s standardized test scores compared to others locally and statewide.
Provides nearly $1 billion per year for the next five years to improve reading - three times as much as this year - with a goal of making sure every student can read by third grade.
Allows 50 states to use a small portion of their federal funds as they wish. A pilot program further frees seven states and 150 school districts from most restrictions on spending.
Targets Title I funds, slated for low-income students, to the poorest students.
Requires schools to test students with limited English skills to ensure they are proficient in English after three consecutive years of attending school in the United States.
Provides money to help schools form partnerships with colleges and universities to improve science and math instruction. |
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