Claire McCaskill: A Senator on OUR Side
Supporting Missouri's Public Schools
As Congress takes up reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), America will face a watershed event for our country's public schools. Will Congress continue down the path of underfunded mandates and a flawed one-size-fits-all accountability system, or will they reward success and provide our public schools with common-sense flexibility and the tools they need to improve student learning and help those students most in need? Will the federal government continue to control Missouri's education system and will low-income, minority and special needs children continue to receive a proper education? How long before higher education is unaffordable for all Missourians? Claire will fight for the future of Missouri's children.
RESTORE LOCAL CONTROL
The enactment of No Child Left Behind represented a fundamental shift in education policy that greatly expanded the federal role in education. It dictates to states how they measure student achievement and the timelines they must use. States should have the flexibility to design systems that produce the best results for their students.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire will demand high performances from our public schools in return for federal funding.
- Claire will work to reform NCLB and put education policy back into the hands of Missouri educators and parents.
- Claire wants to eliminate NCLB's one-size-fits-all system for measuring a school's success and return control to the state and local authorities.
FUNDING FOR SUCCESS
The enactment of NCLB promised our children that schools would receive the funding resources they needed to succeed, and if their schools failed them, they would be held accountable. Unfortunately, Congress and President Bush have only held up one half of this bargain. They are punishing public schools at every chance and have failed to deliver the funds they promised. Since 2002, President Bush has underfunded NCLB for schools composed of 35% of low-income or more by $43.7 billion. The habitual underfunding of NCLB means more children will be left behind, due to fewer highly-qualified teachers in the classroom, and less assistance with reading, math and science for low-income students.
President Bush's 2007 budget would slash funding for the Department of Education by $2.1 billion. This would cause a $142.6 million funding shortfall for Missouri. The lack of funds will leave 63,512 Missouri children under served by the education system.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire will fight for full funding of our public schools and hold the Bush administration accountable for their broken promises.
TESTING AND TEACHING FOR SUCCESS
The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) model under NCLB fails to accurately measure student learning and school success. Schools are held accountable based solely on student performance on a single standardized test that compares one grade's current students to its students the previous year. The result is that NCLB erroneously labels many schools as low-performing and then punishes them. Under this system, several studies project that well over 90 percent of public schools will eventually fail to meet federal standards and be subjected to severe sanctions. How can we improve public schools by just labeling every school as a failure and then penalizing them?
By painting every school with the same broad brush, NCLB erodes school quality by forcing administrators and teachers to Âteach-to-the-test, leaving our children with an unchallenging and inadequate educational environment.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire wants to measure school quality and ability to improve individual student achievement over time.
- Claire believes testing should be used to reward success and identify schools and teachers that are underperforming.
- Claire wants low-performing schools to receive financial resources, technical assistance and other supportive interventions.
SUPPORT DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS
In its name, the No Child Left Behind Act promises a quality education for every child regardless of income or ability. Unfortunately, in many instances it is doing the opposite. Because of its demand for 100% proficiency and penalties for anyone who falls short, it encourages schools to rid themselves of students who cannot meet the proficiency levels. If not amended, NCLB could leave behind those students who need our public schools the most. While all children can learn, they cannot all learn at the same level.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire will fight for public schools that teach all of Missouri's children.
- Claire believes all schools should be measured on individual student achievement and with realistic goals.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Claire firmly believes that having a highly skilled workforce will allow America to remain competitive in the global economy and that access to college is a crucial part of that.
Higher education in Missouri is at stake in this election. In 2005, Congress and President Bush enacted the largest cuts to student aid in history. The cuts to student aid total $12.7 billion. These catastrophic cuts come at a time when college tuition costs are rising exorbitantly both nationally and here in Missouri. The average annual public university tuition in Missouri has risen nearly 75%, from $2,238 to $3,380 since 1999.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire will fight any attempts to balance the budget on the backs of students.
- Claire wants to offer student loan relief for teachers and graduates who enter the public school system.
- Claire wants to make higher education more affordable by increasing the maximum Pell Grant from $4,050 to $5,800 this year, doubling the HOPE Scholarship tax credit from $1,500 per student to $3,000 per student, and making the HOPE tax credit refundable.
- Claire supports the Direct Loan Program which greatly benefits Missouri students. This program will save students money by borrowing from the federal government directly, bypassing the banks and student-loan-guarantee agencies.
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
In order for America to compete effectively in the world market, we must have a well-educated and healthy workforce. Strong school nutrition programs are a key component to helping our children learn. The National School Lunch Act, which was originally signed into law by President Truman, was established as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage healthy diets. This program is essential to Missourians because when a child's nutritional needs are met, the child is more attentive in class, has better attendance and fewer disciplinary problems.
In Missouri, 42% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
- Claire believes in continuing to fund the school lunch programs.
- Claire will fight for education programs, but they will only work when children are able to learn.
SPECIAL EDUCATION
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), our nation's special education law, ensures that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. Supporting special education is essential to improve the quality of life for all Missourians. This goes hand in hand with ensuring no child is left behind.
CLAIRE'S PLAN:
