"Education for Our Native American Children Must Be A Priority," McCollum Urges Bush Administration

"Education for Our Native American Children Must Be A Priority," McCollum Urges Bush Administration

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) joined Native American, Hawaiian and Alaskan teachers, administrators and school board leaders in urging Congress and the president to increase education opportunities for Native children while protecting cultural and linguistic traditions. Addressing the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) 9th Annual Legislative Summit, McCollum also called on the Bush administration to reform the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and allow local school boards and educators to hold the federal government accountable for its shared responsibility in educating America's children.

"We must ensure that the education of our Native American children is a priority and it is included in the national education agenda," said McCollum. "But there has been empty rhetoric from the Administration about supporting and meeting the unique cultural needs of Native children. Washington needs to be a partner with state, local and tribal governments. It is my belief that teachers and school board members are in the best position to make decisions about how to ensure success for Native students."

Despite the President's focus on education in campaign-style appearances around the country, the Bush Administration has severely cut programs to help Native children along with slashing overall education funding. The President's Fiscal Year 2007 Budget freezes Impact Aid funding for the education of Rep. McCollum takes the podium at the National Indian Education Association annual legislative conference and urges President Bush to make Native education a priority.
Rep. McCollum takes the podium at the National Indian Education Association annual legislative conference and urges President Bush to make Native education a priority. Native Indian children on Tribal lands, eliminates TRIO programs that help low income students and students who are the first in their families to attend college-go to college, slashes Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving Institutions by more than 31 percent. The President's budget also eliminates Johnson O'Malley grants, which provide school supplies, tutoring and other services to Native students at public schools. These cuts adversely affect the education goal of ensuring success for Native children across the country.

McCollum is the author of The Student Achievement and Successful Schools Act (H.R. 4578), legislation that holds the White House and Congress accountable for its failure to fully fund the promises made to public education in the No Child Left Behind Act. Since 2002, the law has been under-funded by $40 billion. McCollum was one of forty-one members of the House of Representatives to vote against No Child Left Behind, calling it the greatest federal intrusion into local control of public education.

"We must work together to fight for our children - to make public education in America a priority for the President and every Member of Congress. I stand with you shoulder to shoulder because our children and your schools come first," said McCollum.

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