Steve Israel: “today I will vote for The No Child Left Behind Act, H.R. 1. While I support this legislation it is not without some…”

“today I will vote for The No Child Left Behind Act, H.R. 1. While I support this legislation it is not without some reservations, particularly the inadequate federal support that the bill provides for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Overall, this bi-partisan legislation strengthens our commitment to closing the achievement gap between rich/poor, minority/ non-minority students, improves targeting of funds to low-performing students, improves teacher quality, preserves the After-School program and key civil rights safeguards, and expands local flexibility in the use of certain federal education funds. And this bill contains the high levels of authorizations needed to assure that adequate resources will be provided to carry out the mandates of this new law. I do, however, find the level of funding for special education to be cause for grave concern. Twenty-one years ago the federal government said it would spend 40 percent of the cost of educating children with disabilities. Yet today the government provides only 15 percent of that cost. Children with special needs often require additional resources that put a great burden upon states and local school systems. That is why I asked the Conferees to provide the 40 percent funding that the federal government promised so long ago. I am very disappointed that they decided to wait until next year to address this issue.”