FRN members urge Congress to start ‘New Era in Education’
03/09 -- More than 1,000 school board members from across the country gathered in Washington, D.C., in early February to urge members of Congress to ensure the proposed stimulus legislation provides adequate funding for schools hard-hit by the faltering economy.
This year’s Federal Relations Network Conference came at a defining moment. Congress is debating an “absolutely breathtaking” funding increase for schools, said NSBA Associate Executive Director Michael A. Resnick.
In addition, as Congress prepares to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, the Obama administration is expected to propose major changes in education policy, and more policymakers are recognizing that education is key to the nation’s future success.
To frame the debate on these issues, NSBA, with input from the state school boards associations, has prepared a white paper, “A New Era in Education,” that outlines a new role for the federal government. “This role embraces bottom-up goals and solutions -- reversing the growing federally directed top-down, one-size-fits-all mentality that we’ve seen in recent years,” said Resnick. This new federal role can be summed up as “facilitate, don’t dictate,” which was also the theme of the Conference.
The keynote speaker, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), spoke with optimism about “a dynamic new president” and a new commitment in Congress to appropriate the funds school districts need.
Harkin, chair of the Agriculture Committee, said he will continue to push for federal nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, such as snacks in vending machines, although he acknowledged NSBA’s opposition to federal rules on competitive foods. “I agree with the philosophy of local control,” he said, but stressed the importance of curbing childhood obesity.
Rep. James P. Moran (D-Va.) told the FRN that “while the short-term boost offered by the stimulus is important, a long-term investment [in education] is even more important.”
“Unless we make a radically greater investment, our workforce won’t be competitive,” he said.
Resnick, noting the huge price tag of the stimulus package, urged board members to tell lawmakers, “If our children are going to be able to pay off our national debt, they must be highly educated.”
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