Two State Representatives, William P. Brennan and Pamela J. Hubbard who represent Rochester out of Strafford County and who also serve on the Rochester School Board voted IN FAVOR OF HB1504, a bill that would continue the “No Child Left Behind” Act, thus continuing damaging federal government mandates on local education.
School board members constantly tell us that NCLB ties their hands because it forces us to create many new programs which ultimately cost local property taxpayers. Our special education population is now at 22%. The Superintendant also uses NCLB to explain away Rochester’s AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) failures.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a federal law enacted on January 8, 2002 to expand choices for parents, focus resources on proven educational methods and provide accountability for results. As with many federally mandate laws, NCLB does not provide adequate funding to meet the requirements of the act. In fact, approximately 80% of school districts said they have costs associated with the law not covered by federal funding, according to a report from the Center on Education Policy. And the law’s heavy emphasis on reading and math tests has prompted thousands of schools to reduce, and even eliminate, time spent on other subjects, the report said.
Even the National Education Association opposes the NCLB act because schools don’t have the money they need to comply; they’re cutting back on core subjects to teach to the test. No Child Left Behind states that “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to mandate a State or any subdivision thereof to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under this Act.” NEA filed a lawsuit arguing that this provision has been violated since the law is underfunded by approximately $40 billion. New Hampshire received $217 million less from 2002-2008 than is prescribed by NCLB. This leaves local school districts making up the difference for mandated educational standards.
Back in February, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to withdraw the state from the NCLB act. Unfortunately, two of Rochester’s State Representatives who are also current members of the Rochester School Board voted to keep New Hampshire in the NCLB act. This ensures that the federal government will continue to dictate underfunded educational requirements on local schools in the state. Both William P Brennan and Pamela L Hubbard voted to continue subjecting Rochester’s school district to federally mandated educational standards that have increased expensive special education programs on local taxpayers and caused the potential of having to build a new $20-$30 million school.
Source File: NCLB Funding