This op-ed appeared in various newspapers during March 2004.
Latinos are willing supporters of the key principles embodied in No Child Left Behind (Que Ningún Niño Se Quede Atrás), President George W. Bush's historic education reform plan. This is what the non-partisan Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation recently found when they surveyed Hispanics about education issues: Hispanics strongly back the pillars upon which the law is built. Hispanic support for No Child Left Behind, which passed with wide bipartisan support, is well founded. In fact, Hispanic members of Congress overwhelmingly voted for it.
This revolutionary law, which demands a quality education for all children, is based on four principles: accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis on teaching methods that have been proven to work. Every state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia now have new accountability plans in place that outline how they will ensure that no child in America is left behind.
There are many great schools, administrators and teachers in our country, but we all know that many of our children have not received the quality education they need to succeed. The results have been that Hispanics now have the highest dropout rate and some of the lowest test scores, and many are not prepared to enter institutions of higher learning. Currently, only 17 percent of Hispanic fourth-graders read at their grade level, and the percentage is even lower in mathematics. No Child Left Behind now ensures that all children are given basic quality instruction that will give them the opportunity to achieve their greatest academic potential, and it fully provides the resources and flexibility states and school districts need to carry out this national priority.
Under No Child Left Behind, America's schools report their success in terms of what each student is learning and accomplishing. They must produce annual state and school district report cards that inform parents and communities about their progress in teaching their students. When schools do not make progress, the districts must provide parents the option of sending their children to other public schools. If the schools continue to lag, districts must provide parents with supplemental services such as free tutoring or other after-school assistance. If a school is still not making adequate yearly progress after several years, dramatic changes must be made to the way it is operated.
And the president has committed the funds to get this job done. Never in the history of our country has the federal government invested so much money in the education of our children. U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige recently unveiled President Bush's proposed historic 2005 education budget-a record $57 billion or 3 percent increase for education and the largest dollar increase of any domestic agency. It includes: $1 billion more for disadvantaged children, $1 billion more for special education students, and one million more college students from low income families eligible for $12.9 billion in Pell grants. The president has also proposed $96 million-a $1.9 million increase-to maintain support for universities and colleges that serve large percentages of Hispanic students (Hispanic Serving Institutions). And to meet the needs of English language learners, proposed annual funding for Title III for 2005 has increased to $680 million under this law, including $39 million in grants to prepare teachers of English language learners. Since he took office, President Bush has increased funding for education by 35 percent.
Many parents make great sacrifices for their children, and Hispanic parents are no different. We want our children to obtain the American dream, and we know that their best chance for success depends on the education they receive. We must support our children in their educational endeavors and believe that they can be the teachers, doctors, lawyers and astronauts of tomorrow. With No Child Left Behind, there is a new mindset in America: Education is a civil right. It's no longer enough that our children be allowed to sit in a classroom; it is now required that they receive the same quality education as their peers. This will allow them the opportunity to not only finish high school, but also be academically prepared to go to college, if they so choose.
Hispanic American children have a great deal to gain from the education reforms of the No Child Left Behind Act. And anyone who says otherwise does not have their best interest at heart. For years, Hispanic and other minority children have had to endure the "soft bigotry of low expectations." With so much at stake, we must not let the future of our children and our country fall prey to partisan bickering. Thanks to the president and the Congress, we have the right tools to get the job done. Now, our job is to make sure no one derails this historic accomplishment. No Child Left Behind belongs to our children and to America.
Maria Hernandez Ferrier is deputy under secretary for the Office of English Language Acquisition at the U.S. Department of Education.
####
Top
