Durbin Statement Regarding Funding for 'No Child Left Behind'

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement in response to President's Bush's remarks at a White House event touting the No Child Left Behind law:

"Today, President Bush hosted a Rose Garden event to applaud states for obtaining approval of their state accountability plans under No Child Left Behind. The President deserves an A for press conferences and photo ops touting this law. Unfortunately, he receives an F for his failure to fund these important education reforms.

"I voted for this law; I want this law to work. But just as providing resources without accountability is unacceptable, so is imposing new mandates without fully funding them. President Bush's budget proposal for the next school year falls $12 billion short of the amount authorized to make No Child Left Behind succeed.

"It is simply not fair to students, parents, teachers, school administrators and taxpayers for the federal government to mandate tough accountability provisions and penalties for schools that fail to meet high academic standards with one hand, and then with the other hand, deny them the money needed to achieve these reforms.

"Last week, I introduced a bill that would give states the option of deferring the mandated corrective actions of the No Child Left Behind Act in years when promised federal funding has not been appropriated, while continuing the testing and adequate yearly progress measurements contained in the law. I hope that my bill will convince the Administration and the Republican majority in Congress to provide our schools and teachers with the resources to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind."