ASCD Responds to President Obama's Budget Proposal
Statement from Gene R. Carter, Executive Director, ASCD
February 2, 2010
President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan say we must educate our way to a better economy and that doing so requires cradle-to-career investments in our nation's education system. The 170,000 educator members of ASCD commend the administration for requesting increased investments in key school improvement areas—such as resources to produce effective educators and school leaders and strategies to promote healthy, safe, and successful students.
But in examining the president's entire education budget proposal, it's important to read the fine print. Of the proposed $3.5 billion increase for education, $3 billion will be offered in the form of competitive grants. As states and districts struggle to recover from the most severe economic crisis since the Great Depression, the administration appears most interested in delivering federal resources only to those states and districts that craft the most effective grant applications. This approach seems more geared toward creating a jobs program for consultants than targeting resources to the schools and students most in need.
We agree with the president and education secretary on the urgent need for reform of our education system, and their assertions that everyone—educators, policymakers, students, parents, and community and business leaders—needs to assume greater responsibility for improved outcomes in our schools. And we applaud the administration's effort to promote innovative reforms that work. But requiring educators to divert their time and attention from the classroom to writing grant proposals in the hopes of receiving additional federal funds seems counter to our goal of equally serving every child, and it suggests a profound shift away from the historic federal role of providing equity for disadvantaged students to a much more selective targeting of resources.
We urge Congress and the administration to work together to develop a budget that targets scarce resources where they are needed most. We must not abandon our nation's historic quest for equity in our education system and move toward a system in which funding is allocated on the basis of winners and losers. Education is neither a business nor a sport. It's a fundamental right of every child in this nation. Let's not allow our children's education to be subject to a game of chance.
Contact Information
- David Griffith, policy director, at 1-703-575-5621 or by e-mail
- Barbara Michelman, communications director, at 1-703-575-5764 or by e-mail