Lobby for NCLB improvements

Lobby for NCLB improvements

Many people and groups have opinions about public schools. A majority want improvements from their local schools but have concerns about paying more in local property taxes. Relatively few, however, take the time to work with their school districts to achieve improvements. Now they can!

Congress (following its August recess) is poised to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, often referred to as No Child Left Behind. The current provisions of the law, if they remain unchanged, will hurt rather than help efforts to raise student achievement.

Furthermore, without changes, many of our highest performing schools will be labeled as "failing."

Locally and across the nation, school boards have agreed on improvements they would like to see adopted in the new law. These provisions are contained in H.R. 648, the No Child Left Behind Improvements Act of 2007. This legislation has both Democrat and Republican cosponsors.

The bill's provisions will help schools and (very importantly) establish federal funding levels commensurate with extensive federal requirements. In other words, a reduced reliance on local property taxes! Community members should contact Sens. Durbin and Obama, as well as their congressman, and ask them to support this legislation.

It's the right thing to do for children and the community.

Richard Benson

school board member

Mount Prospect Elementary District 57