Scott Statement on Passage of Partisan Bill to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

“Sixty one years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which established state-funded public education as ‘a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.’ Recognizing that funding education through local property taxes meant that poor communities would never be able to offer opportunities equal to those available in more affluent areas, Congress passed ESEA. ESEA was intended to level the playing field by providing ‘financial assistance to school districts serving areas with concentrations of children from low-income families’ that routinely get less attention in the normal give-and-take of politics. 

 

“No Child Left Behind took a step forward by requiring states to identify and address achievement gaps. While much of No Child Left Behind needs fixing, H.R. 5 undermines fundamental principles in the original ESEA. Perhaps the most egregious of the bill’s provisions is the so-called Title I portability provision – which changes the funding formula to reduce funding in low-income areas and gives more money to rich areas. It is unconscionable to think that the Los Angeles Unified School District, which has a poverty rate of 70 percent, would lose about a quarter of its funding under this provision. Meanwhile, neighboring Beverly Hills – with virtually no poverty – would gain an additional 30 percent in funding.  

 

“In addition, H.R. 5 eliminates supports for students learning English as a second language, and reduces funding for teachers supports and critical programs such as the arts and music.  It also allows states to eliminate many assessments that reveal achievement gaps that exist in communities across the country, and removes any meaningful incentives for states and school districts to take action to address these gaps.  

 

“House Democrats’ united efforts to address the challenges of closing achievement gaps in a measured way shows that there is hope that we can uphold the original intent of ESEA.  It is now time to turn to the real business of producing a bill worthy of the President’s signature, and a bill that is committed to the original purpose of the law. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion with my colleagues in the House and the Senate to ensure that all students are prepared for success in the global economy.” 

 

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