Tuesday, April 20, 2004
No Child Left Behind: The view from southeast Kansas
Here's an article in the local paper:
Critics have said 100 percent proficiency is impossible and that the law is an unfunded mandate that is putting school districts in a financial pinch.
The bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures estimated in March that federal funding for No Child Left Behind will be $9.6 billion short of states' costs for the 2004-05 school year.
But U.S. Education Secretary Ron Paige told a forum audience in Columbia, Mo., on Monday that the law is sufficiently funded.
Cohen said most federal aid is allotted based mainly on the number of poor students in each school district. Those districts would prefer to spend the money on after-school and bilingual education programs, but use much of it to pay for staff because of tight budgets, she said.
"Money is a major issue, no matter where it comes from," she said. "We must rethink what we in Kansas want the state to pay for, what the local option budgets should pay for, and what the federal government and Congress should pay for."
She said Kansas is one of the most efficient states in using federal funds.
Critics have said 100 percent proficiency is impossible and that the law is an unfunded mandate that is putting school districts in a financial pinch.
The bipartisan National Conference of State Legislatures estimated in March that federal funding for No Child Left Behind will be $9.6 billion short of states' costs for the 2004-05 school year.
But U.S. Education Secretary Ron Paige told a forum audience in Columbia, Mo., on Monday that the law is sufficiently funded.
Cohen said most federal aid is allotted based mainly on the number of poor students in each school district. Those districts would prefer to spend the money on after-school and bilingual education programs, but use much of it to pay for staff because of tight budgets, she said.
"Money is a major issue, no matter where it comes from," she said. "We must rethink what we in Kansas want the state to pay for, what the local option budgets should pay for, and what the federal government and Congress should pay for."
She said Kansas is one of the most efficient states in using federal funds.
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