Hoyer: Four Years Later, No Child Left Behind Still Has a Long Way to Go
"Although our teachers and educators are dedicated to fulfilling No Child Left Behind's reforms, they confront mounting obstacles each year as President Bush and the Republican Congress continually shortchange its budget," Hoyer said. "Without the additional promised resources, Maryland schools are faced with the added burden of trying to achieve their end of the bargain without the funding that was promised when the law was passed."
Hoyer noted that just last month House Republicans passed an education funding bill that unconscionably cut federal investments below current levels for the first time in a decade, and slashed funding for NCLB programs by $1 billion. This included a $28 million cut to Title I, which provides extra assistance for low-income children. In the four years since President Bush signed NCLB into law, Maryland has been left over $100 million short of what was promised for Title I.
"Due to the failure to fully fund No Child Left Behind, thousands of schools across the country, including here in Maryland, are not able to afford critical services necessary to success, such as after-school programs, individual tutoring, help with reading and math, and teacher training," Hoyer said.
Furthermore, at a time when technology is more critical to the success of an individual than ever before, Congressional Republicans have cut funding for the federally funded Education Technology program by 45%, or $221 million dollars, which comes on top of a 28% cut last year. In many states, including Maryland, this federal program is the only source of technology funding for our schools.
Hoyer said he has been pleased and impressed with the work of Maryland educators, under the leadership of Superintendent Nancy Grasmick, toward raising the educational achievement of our students. He added, however, that the federal government must uphold its end of the bargain.
"We still have much to do to truly ensure that no Maryland child is left behind," Hoyer said. "A clear commitment to making beneficial reforms and providing the resources to achieve them is the first step."
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