Re: from my congressman

[Free2teach1@aol.com]

Sounds like Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers is the "good little  soldier." Yep. 


In a message dated 5/2/2006 11:59:38 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
clarence.bina@vcsu.edu writes:

Yes,  100% boilerplate babble.
CB

Nancy Patterson wrote:

>Like a  good little soldier, I periodically send messages to my elected 
officials to  register my concern over their muddling of education.  Here is the 
most  recent response from Vernon Ehlers.  Raise your hand if you think it's a  
canned response.  It does give a good indication of how the republicans  are 
going to argue their position regarding NCLB.  Actually, it sounds  like Art 
wrote this.
>--------------------------
>Dear Dr.  Patterson , 
>
>           Thank you  for your recent letter regarding elementary and 
secondary education. I  appreciate hearing your thoughts. 
>
>         Elementary and secondary education is the responsibility of state  
and local governments. However, the federal government has historically  
provided about seven percent of all elementary and secondary education  funding. 
>
>           Since 1965,  the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) 
has guided the spending of  federal education funds. In the late 1990s, Members 
of Congress realized that  only 17 states (including Michigan ) were complying 
with the ESEA's  accountability requirements to demonstrate that students 
were learning.  Congress desired that states and school districts demonstrate 
results in  return for receiving federal education funds. This led to President 
Bush  signing the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act into law in 2001. This 
education  law is a comprehensive overhaul of the ESEA with the overarching goal of  
raising student achievement. 
>
>  
>
>Clearly,  in order to maintain our national security and economic 
competitiveness, we  must ensure that our future workforce is equipped with the 
education needed to  succeed in the jobs of tomorrow. NCLB requires that 100 percent 
of students  demonstrate proficiency in math and reading by the 2013-14 school 
year.  
>
>  
>
>I have heard concerns that the federal  government overburdens states and 
local school districts with the NCLB Act's  requirements. Let me make a few 
comments to this concern. First, the Act is  merely an extension of the previous 
ESEA law designed to add accountability  and demonstrate results. More 
importantly, states can decide whether to  participate in the NCLB Act's requirements 
and in exchange for receiving  federal funds. In 2003, Michigan (along with 
all other states) decided to  participate, and submitted its State Application 
Accountability Workbook to  the U.S. Department of Education. This Workbook 
contains the plan Michigan  designed for implementing assessments and defining 
accountability. As an  example, Michigan 's workbook contains a pathway for 
reaching 100 percent  student proficiency target, but you may be surprised to 
learn that Michigan  requires that only 43 to 56 percent of students demonstrate 
proficiency in the  2005-06 school year. A copy of Michigan 's Workbook is 
available at  http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/stateplans03/micsa.pdf.  
>
>In addition, I have heard concerns that the NCLB Act shines  attention on 
student performance in math and reading and away from other  subjects. The NCLB 
Act requires that students are assessed in reading and math  (and science, 
beginning in the 2007-08 school year). While I strongly believe  that students 
should be exposed to a broad array of subjects, math, reading  and science were 
selected since many believe that they serve as the foundation  for 
understanding other subject areas and are keys to future learning and  jobs. That said, 
states are certainly welcome to test students in other areas,  and many, 
including Michigan , do. It is worth noting that the law explicitly  prohibits the 
federal government from being involved in curriculum design.  
>
>I have also heard concerns that that the federal government  does not 
provide enough funding. F ar more money is flowing from the federal  government to 
states and schools than at any other time in American history.  Federal funding 
currently makes up about 8.2 percent of the estimated $555  billion that 
America is spending on elementary and secondary education in the  2005-06 school 
year. Since the NCLB Act was enacted, federal funding has  increased about $7 
billion (or 40 percent) to $23.3 billion in fiscal year  2006. Congress will be 
considering appropriations legislation for fiscal year  2007 later this year. 
>
>There have been some implementation  problems and other issues with the NCLB 
Act. For example, schools with large  numbers of English language learners or 
students with disabilities have been  identified as "needing improvement" 
when the majority of the students at the  school are showing progress 
academically. Additionally, the U.S. Department of  Education appears to hold some states 
to a higher standard than other states.  Clearly, both of these issues have 
led to concerns in Michigan . However, we  must remember that NCLB's 
overarching goal is to ensure that students are  learning, and approach major changes to 
the NCLB Act with caution.  
>
>The NCLB Act is scheduled for reauthorization in 2008. I  anticipate that 
Congress will hold hearings on the implementation of the Act  and on ways to 
improve the Act. I will certainly listen carefully to your  concerns and 
suggestions as Congress considers how to ensure that our children  are learning. 
>
>Thank you again for contacting me. With best  wishes, I am 
>
>  
>
>
>
>       Sincerely, 
>
>         Vernon J. Ehlers
>           Member of Congress
>
>
>Nancy  Patterson, PhD
>Literacy Studies Program Chair
>College of  Education
>Grand Valley State University 
>920 Eberhard  Center
>301 W. Fulton
>Grand Rapids, Michigan  49504
>616-331-6226
>patterna@gvsu.edu
>http://faculty.gvsu.edu/patterna
>-----------------------------------------------
>Report  list problems to listmom@interversity.net
>   
>





Judy  Rabin
Monmouth University

Given the existence of an idealized vision  of the community, movements of 
protest are likely to occur within the political  nation when the discrepancy 
between the image and the reality comes to seem  intolerably  wide.

--   J.H. Elliott