We at Connecticut PTA are excited to
be part of bringing this serious issue to the forefront. We will continue
to track this issue, and present updates on this page.
CT PTA VP Legislation |
September, 2005
Hurricane Katrina May Affect NCLB Law
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings convened a task force
of 11 national education organizations on Wednesday to discuss how best to help
students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. An estimated 200,000 students have been
relocated to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama not impacted by the
hurricane and 16 other states throughout the country. National PTA was
represented at the meeting by CEO Warlene Gary and Deputy Executive Director
Kimberly Barnes-O’Connor.
Spellings indicated that the Department of Education will work
with states and districts to transfer funds from affected districts that may not
be able to use previously allocated federal education money to districts within
those states or in other states that are serving displaced students. The
department will also work to identify whether undesignated federal funds can be
made available to the affected areas.
In addition, Spellings sent a letter on Wednesday to chief
state school officers to inform them that the department will immediately
consider requests to waive certain No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requirements
as part of the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The department will consider
waiving, among others, the requirement that state education departments fund
education at no less than 90 percent of the level of the previous year. The
department will also evaluate what flexibility is appropriate for affected
states and districts in meeting NCLB’s highly qualified teacher requirements.
For more information on what requirements may be waived or modified, go to
www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/050907.html
August, 2005
STATE OF CONNECTICUT SUES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER
NCLB
No Child Lawsuit Disputed
August 23, 2005
By ROBERT A. FRAHM, Hartford Courant Staff Writer
As some of the state's leading educators and politicians
hailed Connecticut's filing of a lawsuit against a controversial federal
education law Monday, two national civil rights leaders called the action
ill-advised.
The criticism from civil rights advocates, including former
Connecticut lawyer John C. Brittain, came as Connecticut became the first state
to go to court challenging the No Child Left Behind Act, the centerpiece of
President Bush's education agenda.
The disagreement reflects a national debate over the most
sweeping federal education law in 30 years. The law calls for a broad expansion
of testing and a shake-up of schools that fail to make sufficient progress with
all students, including low-income children, special education students and
members of minority groups.
The state filed suit in federal district court in Hartford
against U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, contending the law will
unfairly cost state and local taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
"Our message today is: Give up the unfunded mandates or give
us the money," said state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, flanked by about
a dozen politicians and representatives of the state's education establishment.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Education said the
lawsuit "sends the wrong message to students, educators and parents."
"The funds have been provided for testing," said Susan Aspey,
"but Connecticut apparently wants to keep those funds without using them as
intended."
A key goal of No Child Left Behind is to close the achievement
gap that finds many low-income and minority students lagging academically behind
white, middle-class children.
Although educators across the nation have complained that the
law does not provide enough money for schools to make the necessary
improvements, some observers, such as Brittain, believe it has focused long
overdue attention on low-income and minority children, whose academic
performance generally has lagged behind that of other students.
"We believe poor children will suffer if the state of
Connecticut wins" its lawsuit, said Brittain, who for years was a central figure
in the Sheff vs. O'Neill school desegregation case that sought to improve racial
balance in Hartford's public schools.
"No Child Left Behind keeps the accountability on the states,
where it belongs," said Brittain, chief counsel and senior deputy director of
the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.
In a letter to Blumenthal, Brittain and noted civil rights
lawyer William Taylor took no position on whether No Child Left Behind has been
funded properly but alleged that Connecticut has failed to comply with the law's
requirements to help local school districts meet academic standards.
That failure, the letter said, cannot be excused by the
state's claims that the law is under-funded.
Taylor, chairman of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights,
questioned the strategy of basing a lawsuit on claims of unfunded mandates.
"There is no basis for thinking those lawsuits have been successful," he said.
"I'm afraid lawsuits of this kind ... may encourage other states to resist. That
cannot help this major effort to help poor kids."
Blumenthal said the state doesn't object to the goals of No
Child Left Behind, but "with the failed implementation."
The federal government has repeatedly rejected Connecticut's
requests for flexibility in interpreting the law, including waiving a
requirement to add three grades to Connecticut's annual testing program at a
cost to the state of nearly $8 million over the next two years.
The state - which for years has tested children in fourth,
sixth, eighth and 10th grades - will add tests in third, fifth and seventh
grades in the spring to meet federal requirements even though the additional
tests "have questionable merit," said state Education Commissioner Betty J.
Sternberg. She rejected the contention by Brittain and Taylor that the state had
failed to help local school districts comply with the law.
Sternberg also has disagreed with the federal government over
how to test special education students and children who speak little or no
English.
Connecticut is one of many states that have clashed with the
U.S. Department of Education over No Child Left Behind. Nevertheless,
Blumenthal, despite months of effort, was unable to persuade other states to
join the lawsuit.
"That's because almost every other state is in the process of
asking the U.S. Department of Education for changes" in the interpretation of
the law, said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy in
Washington, D.C., a private nonprofit group that monitors education policy. "I
think they're afraid that if they file suit they won't get the changes they're
asking for."
As for Connecticut officials, "I think they're fed up," he
said. The lawsuit "is a clear signal there is a great deal of discontent with
the law."
That discontent was evident at Blumenthal's press conference,
where educators and politicians blasted the federal law.
State Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, compared the
federal education department to a playground bully.
"While there are not other states that are currently joining
us in this litigation, they are cheering us on because we are taking on the
bully," he said.
One official noticeably absent from the press conference was
Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The Republican governor has expressed reservations about
challenging Bush's chief education program in court, but she did recently sign a
bill authorizing Blumenthal to file the lawsuit.
Judd Everhart, a spokesman for the governor, said Rell was not
invited to attend Monday's press conference.
The governor, however, issued a statement supporting
Connecticut's existing school testing program.
"We need accountability. Our children deserve it," she said,
"but we in Connecticut do a lot of testing already, far more than most other
states. Our taxpayers are sagging under the crushing costs of local education.
What we don't need is a new laundry list of things to do - with no new money to
do them."
Hartford Courant Staff Writer Rachel Gottlieb contributed to
this story.
State's Lawsuit Called `Red Herring'
Education Secretary Criticizes Challenge To No Child Left Behind Act
August 25, 2005
By DOUG GROSS, Associated Press ATLANTA -- U.S.
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Wednesday called
complaints that the federal No Child Left Behind Act isn't fully funded a "red
herring" contrived by states such as Connecticut, which filed a lawsuit this
week challenging the program.
Connecticut's lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court,
claims the law is illegal because the Bush administration has not provided
enough money to pay for the testing and programs associated with the 2001 law.
Spellings, speaking to the Atlanta Press Club, said the
lawsuit "does trouble me a little bit" and, afterward, suggested states balking
at the law simply fear the results of its accountability measures.
"I just see that as a red herring," she said of Connecticut's
claim this year's federal funds will fall $41.6 million short of paying for
staffing, training and testing for No Child Left Behind.
"What are they afraid of knowing, I guess, is one of the
things I'd like to know."
Connecticut was the first state to challenge the law. But
lawmakers in other states have complained about its funding and expect that
other states could join Connecticut's lawsuit or file their own.
Connecticut tests students in grades four, six, eight and 10.
State officials say they don't believe there is added benefit in expanding
testing to grades three, five and seven. Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg
said the state already knows where its problem areas are, and it is working
aggressively to fix them.
Spellings said annual testing is a cornerstone of the federal
program and needed to assess student achievement and help struggling students
catch up with their peers.
"Parents want to know where their children stand," she said.
"That's a reasonable expectation for Connecticut and Georgia and Texas and every
other state in the land."
Sternberg disputed that.
"I'm a parent myself," she said. "And in fact, in my whole
career here in Connecticut in 25 years, I have never heard nor been asked by any
parent to provide more of that kind of testing information."
Wednesday's comments renewed months of sometimes-bitter
dialogue between Spellings and Connecticut officials.
In April, Spellings called the state's attitude toward its
minority students "un-American" and repeated a Bush line, accusing the state of
"soft bigotry of low expectations" for not supporting the plan. Sternberg called
the comments outrageous and cited her Jewish heritage when demanding an apology.
Connecticut estimates it will have to spend $41.6 million of
its own money to comply with the law through 2008. Spellings said the federal
government has already sent $750 million, but the state says the costs of
implementing the law are much higher.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the law itself says
that the government must pay for extra expenses.
"Three words for federal officials: Read the law," he said.
"Under the law, the federal government must pay for any additional testing. They
have not done so."
Spellings toured an Atlanta elementary school before the
speech. She plans to visit several cities promoting national test results she
said have improved since the inception of No Child Left Behind.
April, 2005
CT TO SUE FEDS OVER NCLB
Connecticut State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is
filing a lawsuit challenging the legality of the No Child Left Behind Act after
President Bush and the U.S. Department of Education denied every waiver
requested by the CT State Department of Education.
"This law is outrageously wrong. ... It is fundamentally
flawed," Blumenthal said. "The stakes here are huge."
The announcement drew a sharp response from the U.S.
Department of Education, which issued a statement saying that the proposed
lawsuit "appears to rest on a flawed cost study" of the law.
U.S. DEPT. OF EDUCATION MAY ADDRESS SPECIAL ED.
TESTING UNDER NCLB
A fundamental change in how the Education Department enforces
the No Child Left Behind law could affect the education of millions of students
as states seek federal approval on everything from teacher quality to the
measuring of student progress.
For example, the department plans to give certain states more
freedom in how they test hundreds of thousands of children with milder
disabilities, Bush administration officials told The Associated Press on
Tuesday, April 5, 2005. Only states that can prove progress or a strong
commitment to improve will be seriously considered for that flexibility, the
officials said.
CLICK HERE
for the complete story from CNN.COM.
February, 2005
National PTA issued a statement on NCLB expansion in response
to President Bush’s State of the Union address on Feb 3. To read the statement,
visit our Press Room:
http://www.pta.org/aboutpta/pressroom/pr050203.asp
March, 2004
Senator Wyden Proposes Amendment to Improve NCLB
On March 2, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Oregon Superintendent
of Public Instruction Susan Castillo unveiled a five-point proposal for
improving the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.
The proposal is synthesized from
the concerns and suggestions of parents, teachers, schools, and community
leaders. The proposal will be sent directly to the U.S. Department of Education,
which has the power to make changes to the law administratively. If the
Department of Education fails to act, Wyden will introduce legislation in
Congress to change the law.
Areas that Wyden and Castillo have targeted for
improvement include fairness in student testing and school ratings, teacher
recruitment and retention, and parental involvement.
CLICK
HERE for the rest of the story.
Governors Call to Amend NCLB
A group of governors who were meeting in Washington, DC,
called for changes to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to ensure that it can meet its
intended goals.
They had hoped to raise possible amendments with President
Bush and Secretary of Education Rod Paige at a private meeting at the White
House, that got cut short after Mr. Paige referred to the National Education
Association as a "terrorist organization."
Their concerns with NCLB focused on Washington's increased
oversight of public education, the level of federal aid, teacher-quality rules,
and test-score goals that label many schools as failing.
February, 2004
CEA President Questions Real-World Implications of NCLB
Rosemary Coyle,
President, CEA, regarding how NCLB offers what seems to be a quick formula to
make everyone perform, but it has no answers for the real-world questions.
"While there are some
things to admire in the federal government’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law,
there also is much that needs to be amended. One troubling aspect of the
legislation is that it forces every child, every teacher, every class and every
school into a rigid kind of education with the standardized test the sole
measure of performance."
CLICK
HERE to read the entire letter.
Department of Education Relaxes LEP Policies
On February 19, the
Department of Education announced new policies that would relax the testing
requirements currently applicable to students with limited English proficiency (LEP).
There are now 5.5 million LEP students in U.S. public schools. The new policies
will take effect immediately for schools and districts with LEP students.
Under NCLB, states
must include the academic achievement results of all students, including LEP
students, in their showing of adequate yearly progress (AYP). However, LEP
students often have a difficult time participating in state assessments due to
language barriers or the lack of prior schooling. The new flexibility will allow
LEP students, during their first year of enrollment in U.S. schools, to have
more options in the content of their testing, and some added accommodations.
States also would not be required to include results from all LEP student
testing. In addition, states would have up to two years to include in the LEP
subgroup students who have attained English proficiency, which would allow
schools to get credit for improving English-language proficiency from year to
year.
January, 2004
Impact of NCLB unfolds; concern mounts; CEA TV campaign launched
Parents and taxpayers need to make their voices heard
As confusion and concern sweep Connecticut over the labeling of more than
one-half of the school districts in the state as deficient, the Connecticut
Education Association (CEA) announced it is launching a public awareness TV
campaign to urge state residents to become advocates for amending the No Child
Left Behind (NCLB) law.
CLICK HERE to read the
CEA Press Release.
November, 2003
NCLB Forum in Manchester
On November 15, 2003, a No Child Left Behind forum was held at
Manchester High School. Speakers included:
For comments from Craig Toensing, and pictures from the forum,
CLICK HERE
October, 2003
Military Recruitment and the No Child Left Behind Act
Did you know... Under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
Law, parents have the right to be notified about military recruitment at
their child's high school, and they can op-out of releasing information to the
military if they so choose?
School districts must notify parents of high school students
that military recruiters have access to students’ names, addresses, phone
numbers, and other additional information. Under NCLB, (ESEA, Section 9528),
military recruiters are entitled to this information unless the parents say no.
If you have not been notified about your right to remove your
child from this list, contact your school principal or your school district
office.
May, 2003
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) aka: 'No Child Left Behind'
Act
Parent Rights Under ESEA (No Child Left Behind) Online
Resource
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known
as the No Child Left Behind Act, contains many opportunities for parents to be
involved in and informed about their children's education. The new online
resource "Parent Rights Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act"
explains what parents, under this law, have a right to know about military
recruitment, bilingual education, teacher quality, report cards on school
performance, and school safety.
Visit the Parent Involvement section of National PTA's website
for "Parent Rights Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act," as well as
four other resources to help you better understand the ESEA.
http://www.pta.org/ptawashington/issues/rights.asp
April, 2003
From the CT PTA President ... Learn More About the No Child Left Behind
Act.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the
“No Child Left Behind Act” (NCLB), signed into law by President Bush in 2002,
reached its first anniversary this January, 2003. As advocates for your
children, I urge you to learn more about the NCLB, how it is being implemented
and what impact it will have in your school district. Therese Duncan, Vice
President-Legislation, and I represent Connecticut PTA members on the
Connecticut Department of Education’s “Committee of Practitioners” which was
established to look at the provisions of NCLB and how they will be implemented
in Connecticut. We would like to know what your concerns are regarding the
effect this legislation is having and will continue to have on your children and
schools.
CLICK HERE for more information from Donna McGuire regarding NCLB.
June 24, 2002
SEND LETTERS TO OUR NATION'S LEADERS SUPPORTING FULL FUNDING FOR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS
At the 106th Annual Convention, National PTA is launching an
initiative to engage all PTA members in advocating for public funding for public
schools.
To promote this initiative, National PTA has posted letters on
its website addressed to President George W. Bush, Senate Majority Leader Tom
Daschle, and Speaker of the House J. Dennis Hastert, calling for full funding of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The letters are available in PDF format
CLICK HERE.
National PTA encourages you to take a moment to download and print the letters
to President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Daschle, and Speaker of the House
Hastert. Please add your name, address, and affiliation at the bottom, and mail
the letters to their recipients using the respective address at the top of each
letter.
National PTA thanks you for your advocacy efforts!
January, 2002
ESEA BILL HAS BEEN SIGNED INTO LAW
President George W. Bush signed the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA) (also known as the No Child Left Behind Act) on
January 8, 2002.
National PTA urged adoption of the H.R. 1 conference
report citing support for such reforms as the enhanced parent
involvement provisions, increased funding authorizations, and improved
targeting of federal funds to the most needy communities. At the same
time, National PTA expressed concern that the bill focuses too heavily
on tests as an accountability tool as opposed to other indicators of
progress such as funding levels, class size, teacher quality, and parent
involvement.
The reforms set forth in ESEA require new testing and
accountability measures. For example, beginning in 2003, states must annually
test students in 3rd through 8th grade in reading and math. Similar yearly
assessments in science must begin by the academic year 2007-2008. Test results
will be measured and reported to parents and the public. The test data must be
broken down by race, gender, and other criteria to identify how groups are
progressing in meeting state standards. States will set their own performance
standards, but they must participate in the National Assessment of Education
Progress tests, which offer a sampling of student performance nationwide.
Federal funds are available for teacher training and, by 2005,
all schools must have a qualified teacher in every classroom. Class-size
reduction is eliminated as a separate program in ESEA, but teacher quality funds
can be used to recruit and hire teachers. Schools must show within 12 years that
every student meets state standards or is receiving supplemental educational
services. ESEA also contains a new program designed to ensure children are
reading before grade 3, and boosts bilingual education services to children not
proficient in English.
National PTA supports many of the reforms in the bill
proposed and is pleased that the bill...
