Education Update

Press Release from the Committee on Education and the Workforce:

New Government Data Confirms Federal Education Funding is Increasing More Quickly than States Can Spend It; States Have Billions in Unspent No Child Left Behind & Special Education Funds – and Percentage of Unspent Funds is Increasing

States Still Haven’t Spent $526 Million Carried Over from Clinton Administration; $2.7 Billion Has Been Sitting Unused for Two Years or More

New official government figures made available to Congress confirm federal education spending has increased so rapidly under the No Child Left Behind Act that states are having trouble spending it all. The figures show states have billions in unspent federal education funds available - including more than half a billion dollars dating back to the final years of the Clinton administration - and also show that the percentage of federal funds unspent by states is increasing, not decreasing, as more and more money is being pumped into the system.

"These figures confirm we are increasing federal education spending more quickly than states can actually spend the money," said Boehner. "The system can only absorb so much new money at once. We've literally flooded the system with cash, and it's time to start focusing on improving student achievement instead."

Matt's Chat

Hat tip to Tyler of Red Line Rants for this one.

Folks, don't let John Kerry and the liberals get away with calling NCLB an "unfunded mandate" because it just isn't true. Tyler wrote a great bit on NCLB awhile back, and we wrote about NCLB here; and about education funding being considered an entitlement here.

Mark's Remarks

However, the people responsible for spending the money are holding it back, creating a panic mentality in the profession that hinders movement and hinders new teachers being admitted to the system. It couldn't be that some people are trying to hold back the money because they want to see Bush go down due to the fear of teachers, could it? It couldn't be that some leftists are not spending the money because they are afraid it might actually work? I don't know. All I do know is that teachers are not retiring or moving because they fear lack of funding for either their new schools or their retirement, and so they stay where they might otherwise leave, creating a market that is stagnant for teachers. This in fact is the market I face, especially in Social Studies, and it is wearing thin. Education needs to get its act together or more people are going to consider walking, including me.

John Kerry Delinda Est!