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By running from the high standards set by the No Child Left Behind program and refusing federal funding for this mandate, House Democrats are not only telling Hawaii that our children should quit now because they cannot succeed, but also ensuring it.
Hawaii’s children are absolutely capable of success and should not be told otherwise.
In a recent informational briefing, non-partisan National Conference of State Legislatures’ Education Expert David Shreve testified if Hawaii does not participate in the No Child Left Behind program, not only would the state lose the $194.6 million in federal funds for the program, but also all federal Title I funding and any funding associated with the Title I formula including Native Hawaiian programs.
“The federal government will take away every possible penny that they can,” Shreve said. “In the history of federal education legislation there has never been a state that turned down the money.”
Last week, all House Republicans and two Democrats voted to keep the funding and participate in the No Child Left Behind program — a program which introduces accountability and demands results.
Republican in the House believe rejecting the No Child Left Behind federal mandate, and federal funds, is the most irresponsible choice the state could possibly make, running contrary to everything we are trying to accomplish in this state.
N.C.L.B., or No Child Left Behind should really stand for No Challenge Liked by Bureaucrats. I believe our kids are smart enough to meet the challenge but apparently some government officials are afraid to step up to the plate.
By quitting on our kids now, Democrats are saying “we’ve left you behind a long time ago,” but that kind of “give up” attitude is unacceptable among Republicans.
”’Rep. Bud Stonebraker is a Republican in the House representing the Hawaii Kai district.”’