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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 1999

Excerpts from Remarks by NEA Vice President Reg Weaver To CEF Rally Supporting Federal Education Spending

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- National Education Association (NEA) members -- including teachers, school support personnel, vocational educators, and higher education faculty -- know what parents, students, and the American public know -- that federal education spending is an essential investment in our economic strength and our national security.

Polls show that the American public overwhelmingly supports increased funding for education. But, we don't need polls to tell us what we see every day in classrooms across America. Our nation's schools are committed to raising academic standards and student achievement. Yet, schools across the country are facing record levels of enrollments, aging and overcrowded school buildings, and teacher shortages. We cannot prepare our children to meet the challenges of the 21st century without increased federal investment in education.

Congressional leaders routinely express support for education. Yet, the current proposed funding framework requires just the opposite -- the largest education funding cut in history! Without an increase in spending caps to allow additional education funding, support for education amounts to nothing more than empty rhetoric.

The proposed education cuts are unacceptable. They represent a significant step backward from our national responsibility to provide all our children with the best education possible. They will jeopardize efforts to raise academic standards, to provide assistance for teacher education, and to provide a vast array of essential services to students. Taking funds away from students, schools, and communities will inevitably lead to a decline in educational progress, economic opportunity, and the strength and productivity of our future workforce.

Instead of proposing cuts, Congress should be focusing on increased investment in programs proven to increase student achievement -- including raising the level of academic standards for all children, reducing class sizes, and modernizing school facilities.

NEA calls upon Congress to fulfill the promise of a quality public education for all our children.