NLA Info: President's 2002 Budget for Education

[David J Rosen]

[Cross-posted from NIFL-Family by David J. Rosen]

     President's 2002 Budget for Education  

     TODAY, PRESIDENT BUSH announced his fiscal year 2002 budget,
     which provides the Education Department with the largest
     increase of any domestic cabinet agency.  Below is the
     statement by Secretary Paige.  

     Information about the President's budget request for
     education -- including a press release, detailed summary, 
     & state tables -- can be found at:

          http://www.ed.gov/offices/OUS/Budget02

======================================================
Statement of U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige 
On President Bush's 2002 Education Budget Request. 
April 9, 2001, U.S. Department of Education Auditorium
+=====================================================

Good afternoon everyone.  I am pleased today to be able to
announce the details of President Bush's fiscal year 2002 budget
request for the Education Department.  You all know that the
President's highest priority is education, and we continue to see
the expressions of that commitment.  Today we see it in his
budget request to Congress.  The President would give the
Department of Education the largest percentage budget increase of
any domestic Department.

The reason for this is simple:  there is nothing more important
for the future of this great Nation than the education of our
children -- just ask any parent.  As I stand here today, our 
system of education is failing too many of those children.  In
this very room on Friday, we heard that despite the ever-increasing 
federal investment in education over the past decade,
average reading performance among our fourth graders has not
improved since 1992.  When 40 percent of our 4th-graders -- and
nearly 70 percent of inner-city 4th-graders -- are unable to read
at even the Basic level on the National Assessment of Educational
Progress (NAEP), our education system is broken and repair is
needed urgently.

President Bush and I are especially concerned about the deep,
persistent, and unacceptable gaps in achievement between poor and
minority students and their more advantaged peers.  The chart
behind me shows that despite nearly two decades of education
reform efforts, African-American and Hispanic students continue
to score significantly below White students on NAEP reading and
math assessments.  The NAEP assessment for fourth grade reading
released last week illustrated that the flat average reading
scores resulted from better students performing better and poorer
students performing worse.  Clearly, too many children are being
left behind by our current education system.  The time has come
for a bold and fundamental change in how our system of public
education works.

I know we are here today to talk about the education budget, but
there is another message I hope you will take away from this
press conference.  Improving our schools isn't just about money. 
The other chart behind me shows that despite more than a decade
rapidly increasing Federal spending on elementary and secondary
education, student performance has not improved.  Simply spending
more money in the same way is not the answer.  We need to do
things differently, to adopt a culture of achievement in our
schools and school systems, and to demand results for our growing
investment in education.

That's why I'm especially proud of the President's 2002 budget
request for education.  It provides an increase of $2.5 billion
or almost 6 percent over the 2001 program level -- the largest
increase of any domestic Department.  As you know, this increase
comes in the context of the President's overall effort to restore
discipline to discretionary spending over the next decade while
delivering an across-the-board tax cut benefiting all American
families.  I am very pleased by this demonstration of the
President's commitment to education.

I am even more pleased that these new dollars are focused on
changing the culture of our education system and closing the
achievement gap.  Our budget reflects the principles put forward
in "No Child Left Behind":  high standards; annual testing of all
students in grades 3-8 in reading and math; increased
accountability for student performance; a focus on research-based
practices -- particularly in teaching reading; reduced
bureaucracy and greater flexibility for States, school districts,
and schools; and expanded options for parents to make choices for
their children's education.

To support assessment of student, school, and State progress, the
budget provides $320 million to help States develop and use
annual reading and math assessments for all students in grades 3-8.  
These funds will help ensure that all States have such
assessments in place by the 2004-2005 school year.

We also are asking for $9.1 billion in Title I Grants to Local
Educational Agencies, an increase of $459 million, to give States
and school districts financial support to turn around failing
schools, improve teacher quality, and ensure that all students
meet State academic standards before advancing to the next grade. 
In particular, $400 million of these funds would be dedicated to
efforts to turn around low-performing schools, an increase of 78
percent over the 2001 level.

The President's Reading First program would help States and
school districts implement comprehensive reading instruction
grounded in scientifically-based reading research for children in
kindergarten through third grade.  The budget includes $900
million for Reading First State grants, more than triple the 2001
level for reading instruction.

To help improve teacher quality, the President is requesting $2.6
billion for a new State formula grant program that would
consolidate several existing programs and give States and school
districts greater flexibility to fund their own needs and
priorities in developing and supporting a high-quality teaching
force.  The request provides a $375 million, or 17 percent,
increase over 2001 funding for the consolidated programs.

The President would create meaningful choices for parents through
a new $175 million Charter Schools Homestead Fund.  The program
dollars will be used to provide grants to leverage funds to
build, lease, purchase, or renovate facilities for use by charter
schools.  The President is also proposing a tenfold increase in
the annual contribution limit for education savings accounts,
from $500 to $5,000.  Parents would be able to make tax-free
withdrawals from these accounts to pay for elementary, secondary,
college, and after-school program expenses at both public and
private schools.

The President's budget includes a $1 billion increase for the
Special Education Grants to States program, for a total of $7.3
billion.  This is the largest increase in this program ever
requested by a President, and would provide an estimated $1,133
for each child with a disability.  That is approximately 17
percent of the national average per-pupil expenditure -- the
highest level of Federal support ever under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act.

For postsecondary education, the budget provides a $1 billion
increase for Pell Grants to support a maximum grant of $3,850 --
the highest ever -- and to improve access to postsecondary
education for economically disadvantaged students.  A $50 million
increase for TRIO would improve the level of outreach and support
services designed to help low-income students enroll in and
complete a college education.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities continue to play a
key role in American higher education, and the President would
increase aid to these schools by $15 million.  Postsecondary
institutions serving largely Hispanic populations will receive a
$4 million increase.

We also would encourage more college students to pursue teaching
careers in high-need areas by expanding loan forgiveness for math
and science teachers serving low-income communities from $5,000
to a maximum of $17,500. 

These are just some of the highlights of the President's budget
request for Education.  On behalf of the Department, I want to
express my thanks to President Bush for his commitment to our
Nation's children and to the Department of Education.

In addition to the Department's budget, the President will
provide other federal agencies with a $490 million increase to
support other initiatives related to his education reform agenda. 
I look forward to working with these other agencies in any way I
can.

It is time to stop funding failure and start building a culture
of accountability and achievement in our education system.  "No
Child Left Behind" provides a comprehensive plan for transforming
the Federal role in education to support this goal, and the
President's 2002 budget represents a solid down payment for
carrying out that plan.

Thank you for listening, and I will be happy to answer any
questions you may have.




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