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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2002

News Release

NEA Asks Congress to "Help Kids Now"

Long-term Continuing Resolution Will Leave Too Many Children Behind

Washington, D.C. - Public schools already struggling to meet the new federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requirements would be hurt if Congress adjourns for the year without approving needed increases for school programs, the National Education Association (NEA) said today.

If Congress approves a long-term Continuing Resolution that holds Department of Education spending to last year's levels, the nation's schools will have fewer resources for books, teachers and other help for low-income and disabled students. Essential increases for federal programs such as Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be delayed and perhaps denied.

Schools also will find it tough to prepare their own budgets for the 2003-04 school year. If school officials do not know the exact amount of new federal funding, they cannot wisely plan on how many teachers to hire, how many courses to offer or how many books and supplies to purchase. College students and their families also will face increased difficulty in planning college attendance without knowing what the maximum Pell grants award will be.

The NEA urges Congress to act now on an education-spending plan that improves upon the administration's budget proposal. Lawmakers could help kids now by approving:

• $16 billion for programs for disadvantaged students served under Title 1, as promised in the new education law;
• a $2.5 billion increase in aid to disabled students, which would put the federal government on a path to fulfilling a 27-year promise to meets its full share of the costs of special education;
• increased grants to recruit, retain, and train high quality teachers and to reduce overcrowded classrooms.

"Schools must be given the support they need in order to be successful," said Reg Weaver, president of the 2.7 million-member education association. "If Congress leaves town without providing the resources needed to implement reforms, it will leave too many children behind."

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.