Republicans, Educators on the Same Page for ESEA Reform

One of the key proposals in the Obama administration’s blueprint for improving schools is pressuring local districts to take extreme measures, including closing the school and firing all the teachers. A growing number of Republican lawmakers are objecting to the plans, arguing that they will not work for their local students.

The Senate’s ranking Republican on education issues said this week that the four-point plan for school reform will hurt rural schools.

“No Child Left Behind has been criticized as a one-size-fits-all law, a claim that has rung especially true in rural areas,” said Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming in a statement to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. “I appreciate that the Administration’s initial blueprint for reform acknowledges the unique nature of rural school districts. However, despite these efforts, we must continue to focus on making additional improvements, where necessary, to balance prescriptive federal mandates with local needs and best serve our nation’s students.”

Enzi, the top Republican on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is not alone.

Rep. Mark Souder of Indiana has said firing all the teachers will only hurt students and impede reform.

“Why would anyone ever choose to teach in one of these schools if they think there is a 50 percent chance they are going to be fired?” Souder said. “Why would a principal go there? How are we assured these same schools are going to be measured fairly and get the improvements?”

Rep. John Kline of Minnesota, the top Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, has said the president’s proposal for only a $250 million increase in special education funding http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2010/03/sing_along_if_you_know.html”>“should have been billions.” He said he agreed with the concerns of Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who is considered a liberal Democrat.

Correcting the mistakes of No Child Left Behind, and improving education for all students, is going to require bipartisan cooperation, Kline said.

“As we grapple with questions about what role the federal government can and should play in our schools, we must look to our teachers, principals, and superintendents,” he said. “We need to empower our school boards and the citizens who elect them. And we need to focus on effective partnerships that support educators rather than supersede them.”

Related posts:

1. ESEA at 45
2. ESEA Blueprint Not Rooted in Research
3. NEA Gives Kline ESEA Bills a Failing Grade
4. Educators Work on Real School Reform
5. Wisconsin Republicans Ram Through Anti-Worker Bill