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From Education Newsfeed:
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today praised President Bush's FY 2008 Department of Education budget request for providing increased resources to improve our public schools, increase rigor in our nation's high schools, and help more Americans afford college.
"President Bush believes that every student can learn and today he is reaffirming his commitment to a good education for every child, regardless of race, income or zip code," said Secretary Spellings.
"This budget builds on the great progress our children have made under No Child Left Behind while at the same time targeting dollars more strategically to meet our students' most pressing needs and priorities," said Secretary Spellings.
The President's request of $56 billion makes bold investments in the core priorities of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) by increasing funding for the landmark law to $24.5 billion, up 41 percent since 2001.
Additionally, $500 million in Title I School Improvement Grants will help states turn around low-performing schools and direct resources to students who need additional instruction to succeed.
And for low-income families with students trapped in chronically underperforming schools, Promise and Opportunity Scholarships will provide a choice of intensive tutoring or the opportunity to attend a quality public, private or charter school.
To better prepare students to succeed in the global economy, the President proposes $365 million for the American Competitiveness Initiative to strengthen instruction in math, science, and critical foreign languages, the new currencies of the world economy.
The President's top education priority for 2008 is reauthorization of NCLB, and his 2008 request is fully aligned with the goal of every child reading and doing math at grade level by 2014.
Particular emphasis will be placed on bringing more resources and rigor to the high school level, as well as placing priority on providing low-income students with educational resources through Title I funds.
$500 million in first-time School Improvement Grants for states to support school improvement and increase support for Local Educational Agencies improvement efforts.
$300 million for Promise Scholarships ($250 million) and Opportunity Scholarships ($50 million) to expand school choice options for students in low-performing schools.
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Posted on February 7, 2007 10:09 PM
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