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First Congressional District of New Mexico
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ask.heather@mail.house.gov

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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Education bill sails through U.S. House December 13, 2001
 
Wilson wants to leave no child behind
WASHINGTON, DC- With a focus on leaving no child behind, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed a landmark education bill that will empower parents and provide unprecedented flexibility to local school districts. The conference report for HR 1, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, passed the House 381 to 41. “Education is more important than ever,” said Wilson, known in her district for her commitment to high quality public education. “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.” Wilson has visited more than 100 schools in her district and runs a high school internship program in her Albuquerque office where participants learn basic office skills. The final version of HR 1 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. Wilson’s 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. H.R. 1, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, also
  • 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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