The education reform priorities that Senator Kerry and his
colleagues championed were critical components of the reauthorization
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2000 and
2001.Senator Kerry supported legislation signed into law this
year to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act. For years legislators spun their wheels as they tried
to reform the public education system, Republicans calling
for a diminished federal role, Democrats calling for more
programs and greater funding levels. Senator Kerry believed
that there was significant room for consensus on public education
reform, and last year he worked with 10 of his Democratic
colleagues to introduce legislation that would help break
the stalemate and move beyond the tired, partisan debates
of the past. Their education proposal became the foundation
of the education bill signed into law by President Bush. The
groundbreaking legislation enhances the federal government's
commitment to our nation's public education system, dramatically
reconfigures the federal role in public education, and embraces
many of the principles and programs that Senator Kerry believes
are critical to improving the public education system.
Senator Kerry has been at the forefront of the fight to
obtain federal funding for school construction. The need
to build new schools and remodel existing schools is tremendous.
Three-quarters of our public schools are in need of repairs,
renovation, or modernization. More than 1/3 of schools rely
on portable classrooms, such as trailers, many of which
lack heat or air conditioning. Twenty percent of public
schools report unsafe conditions, such as failing fire alarms
or electrical problems. At the same time the schools are
getting older, the number of students is growing, up nine
percent since 1990. The Department of Education estimates
that 2,400 new schools will be needed by 2003. The American
Society of Engineers rated the condition of the nation's
schools a D-. Senator Kerry responded to these challenges
by cosponsoring S. 905, legislation that would allow the
federal government to issue $24.8 billion in school modernization
bonds in order to help states and school districts fix crumbling
schools.
Senator Kerry was the first to bring the attention of Congress
to the importance of leadership of the public schools, recognizing
the critical role that principals and other administrators
play in school reform efforts. The principalship is a vital
position to educational change and improvement. A good principal
can create a climate that fosters excellence in teaching
and learning, while an ineffective one can quickly thwart
the progress of the most dedicated reformers. In the coming
years, we will be faced with a leadership crisis in our
schools. Many of today's principals are reaching the age
at which they could choose to retire, and evidence has pointed
to a decline in the number of candidates for each opening.
If the flow of retirees is not stemmed and the numbers of
aspiring principals buoyed, we will face a crucial school
leadership crisis - one that could debilitate meaningful
education reform. Senator Kerry proposed an amendment, which
was ultimately signed into law, to ensure that these important
educational leaders have the resources that they need to
serve our school communities.
One size does not fit all in American public education.
Students and families need to be able to choose a public
school that meets their needs. Enacting public school choice
programs and expanding the number of charter schools in
the country are important ways to provide students and families
with the ability to choose the schools that best meets their
needs. Senator Kerry has strongly supported efforts to expand
schooling options for parents of children within the public
school system.
The federal government has never met its funding obligation
for special education. Senator Kerry has worked with many
of his colleagues to ensure that the federal government
becomes a true partner of state and local governments in
the provision of special education. When Congress passed
the Individuals with Disabilities Act, it agreed to fund
40% of the cost of special education. Currently the federal
share stands at a mere 11%. Senator Kerry has consistently
supported efforts to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act and will continue working toward full funding.
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