Bush plan raises concerns
Just days after President Bush's inauguration, education took center stage at the White
House and on Capitol Hill, generating both bipartisan praise--and a few notes of alarm. A
common commitment to helping the nation's neediest schools and students succeed raised
hopes that Congress and the administration can forge a meaningful package of reforms and
resources, and the AFT is eager to help shape a legislative package. Here's a look some of
the president's proposals and the AFT's response to them.
STANDARDS
Bush's Plan: President Bush would require states to define what pupils should
know in history, science, reading and math. According to the president's plan, progress in
reading and math would be measured annually.
AFT's Position: The AFT has been a leading advocate of a rigorous
curriculum and high academic standards for all students. The union believes that given
adequate resources, materials and teacher training, students and schools can meet our
highest expectations.
TESTS
Bush's Plan: The president proposes annual testing of every child in grades 3-8
in reading and math to measure performance both of the pupils and of the schools.
AFT's Position: The AFT supports the testing of students, but it is
important to remember that test results are only indicators of student progress. They do
not improve learning in and of themselves. Tests must be aligned to standards and
standards-based curriculum, and there must be safeguards to ensure that we do not
wrongfully reward or punish schools.
VOUCHERS
Bush's Plan: The administration's proposal would let students in failing
schools use Title I money for vouchers to transfer to a private school or to pay for
tutoring.
AFT's Position: The AFT strongly opposes vouchers. Rather than
strengthening public schools, which educate 90 percent of our nation's children, vouchers
rob these schools of much-needed funding. Studies show that students who currently use
vouchers to attend private schools do no better on achievement tests than their public
school counterparts. The AFT supports proven programs that set high standards, demand
accountability, and provide our children and teachers in public schools with the resources
they need to succeed. We also support public school choice and, when necessary, the
closing and redesigning of low-performing schools.
BLOCK GRANTS
Bush's Plan: The president's plan would allow states or school districts to enter
a charter agreement with the U.S. Department of Education that would allow them to waive
the requirements of federal programs in return for a "performance agreement"
from state governors and legislatures. The Bush plan also consolidates class size
reduction and the Eisenhower professional development programs into a single grant
program.
AFT's Position: The first proposal is virtually identical to the
"Straight A's" block grant that removes almost all requirements from major
federal education programs. This proposal is dangerous: It has the potential to redirect
federal funds away from the places that most need the resources, weaken accountability and
remove any sense of federal priorities in education programs. Further, it would
potentially allow federal dollars to be used for voucher programs in states or districts
that have them. The second proposal loses the focus on the class size program, which helps
districts hire teachers to reduce class size, particularly in the early grades.
TEACHER QUALITY
Bush's Plan: Although the Bush proposal recognizes the importance of making sure
that every classroom is staffed by a qualified teacher, it is unclear on whether there
would be any federal teacher-quality standards. The plan calls for resources for
professional development, but the proposal also calls for states to tie teacher
assessments to student performance and implement merit pay and tenure reform plans.
AFT's Position: Ending emergency credentials; having fully certified
teachers; and increasing quality, in-service training opportunities for teachers and other
educators are top AFT priorities. The union is opposed to merit pay and tying teacher
performance to student test scores.
TAX CREDITS/EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (ESA)
Bush's Plan: The administration's proposal would raise the amount that
can be put into an ESA from $500 to $5,000. The proposal expands existing higher education
savings accounts--similar to IRAs--so that they can be used for K-12 expenses, including
private school tuition.
AFT's Position: This is a foot in the door to tuition tax credits.
Raising the allowable contribution to $5,000 per student is in essence a windfall for
high-income families with children in private schools.
