Statement of Administration Policy: S. 2 - Neighborhood Schools Improvement Act

(Senate)
(Kennedy (D) MA and 30 others)

The Administration strongly opposes S. 2, the Neighborhood Schools Improvement Act, in the form in which it reportedly will be brought to the floor. If the bill were presented to the President in its current form, his senior advisers would recommend a veto.

Based on available information, S. 2 is objectionable because it:

—   Does not promote fundamental reforms in the Nation's educational system. In contrast to S. 2, the bill proposed by the President, S. 1141, the AMERICA 2000 Excellence in Education Act, would challenge the States and schools to transform education to meet the needs of our citizens. For educational reform to become a reality, funding must be focused on specific reform- oriented activities, such as those proposed in the President's AMERICA 2000 Education Strategy. Instead, S. 2 authorizes activities so broadly defined that virtually anything education-related could be funded, whether or not it improves achievement. S.2 represents business as usual.

—   Does nothing to ensure that educational choice programs will actually be implemented anywhere and does not allow for choice programs involving private schools to be funded or even tested. The AMERICA 2000 proposal would help give low and middle-income families more of the same educational choices that wealthier families now have. Low-income families should have access to all schools, public or private. The Administration has asked Congress to appropriate $230 million to help States and communities advance these choice plans. S. 2 ignores the choice provisions in the President's bill.

—   Fails to authorize funding for the implementation of the new generation of "break the mold schools". The New American Schools grants that would be authorized by S. 1141 would reflect the best of what is known about teaching, learning and educational technology. These grants would help all students to meet world class standards of achievement. States and localities are moving to create such schools, and Federal assistance will help to develop these desperately needed reforms.

—   Fails to assign an appropriate role to each State's Governor in important areas such as developing the State's application for assistance and determining how the State's grant will be used. The Governors are leading education reform across the country. S. 2 would limit their role, effectively preserving current decision-making processes and reducing opportunities for reform.

—   Establishes a duplicative and unnecessary National Council on Education Goals. The current National Goals Panel, composed of Governors, Administration officials, and Members of Congress, has been working on a bipartisan basis for over a year to measure America's progress toward the six National Education Goals that were adopted two years ago. The Panel issued its first Report Card in September 1991. Another reporting panel, as proposed by S.2, is not only unnecessary, but will create confusing and potentially contradictory signals just at a time when the States are beginning to move in a coordinated way toward the six Education Goals.

—   Includes policy statements calling for excessive and Unrealistic spending in existing Federal programs.

Administration Supported Amendments

The Administration understands that the following four amendments may be offered to s. 2. Based on preliminary drafts, the Administration strongly supports all four. They would:

• Authorize a $30 million Low-Income School Choice Demonstration Program. Through a carefully designed and evaluated set of demonstration projects, this program would address the issues relating to full-cost public and private school choice for low-income families and its effects on the public school system.
  
  
• Authorize grants to communities for their New American Schools.
  
  
• Permit more flexibility to States and localities in current education programs, in return for increased accountability for improved educational achievement.
  
  
• Strike S. 2's duplicative and unproductive National Council and replace it with the revised bipartisan panel now taking shape, led by the Nation's Governors.