January 26, 2007
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush:
As California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, I continue to support the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). I embrace the notion of holding schools and districts accountable for improving the academic achievement of every student. Our State’s rigorous academic content standards, along with our assessment and accountability system, were in place well before the passage of NCLB, but with the same goals in mind. We agree that it is imperative to close the achievement gap and do whatever is necessary to ensure the academic success of all students.
This week, your Administration announced several NCLB reauthorization proposals that include the addition of several accountability measurements, many of which California already has in place, such as high standards and assessments in high schools, and holding schools accountable for student achievement in science. We applaud these additions and believe they will go far in advancing the goals we share.
Further, I am pleased with the proposal to offer incentives for teachers to work in the neediest schools, and also with its recognition that States must be offered greater flexibility to prioritize resources for schools and districts that are truly in need of improvement. There must be a better way of differentiating a school or a district that is truly struggling with one that is clearly on the right track.
With that said, I must express my grave concern that a major component of your new proposal – one that falls under the guise of holding schools accountable – appears to embrace an ideological agenda. I am referring to your proposed use of public school funding to send students to private school in favor of heeding the clear call of the American people to work on improving our public schools. Your proposals for “promise scholarships” and “opportunity scholarship” reflect a troubling anti-public school bias, and I cannot support them.
After NCLB was enacted, California conveyed to all parents with children attending schools labeled as failing by the federal government that they had the right to transfer their children to a different school. The overwhelming majority of parents have chosen not to transfer. The clear message from our parents and from those around the country is that they want us to focus on improving their local public schools rather than abandon them.
I strongly encourage you to continue to work closely and in a collegial partnership with States to find more effective ways of strengthening public education and better preparing our students for the demands of the 21st century. Policies that attempt to siphon precious resources out of the public school system are not an option.
Sincerely,
JACK O’CONNELL
JO:hm
1430 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814