wfn.org | Education Funding a "Moral Issue,": Religious Leaders

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227

106NCC9/28/99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOTE TO EDITORS AND REPORTERS: The NCC's support for this 
appeal to Congress is part of the Council's broader work 
since at least 1963 for quality public education for all 
children.  Elements include a pilot project in Pennsylvania, 
co-endorsement of guidelines on what public schools and 
religious institutions can do together, and a proposed 
policy, "The Churches and the Public Schools at the Close of 
the 20th Century," expected to receive final approval at the 
NCC's General Assembly this November in Cleveland.  On 
September 30 in Washington, D.C., the NCC will sponsor a 
day-long dialogue on the statement.  Call 212-870-2227 for 
further information.

REAUTHORIZATION OF EDUCATION ACT FRAMED AS A "MORAL ISSUE"

 September 28, 1999, WASHINGTON. D.C. - Religious 
leaders' appealing to Congress to reauthorize, indeed 
strengthen, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act frame 
it as "a deeply moral issue," reminding senators and 
representatives that "education is the only possible escape 
from poverty" for millions of poor children.

 Representing 13 organizations including the National 
Council of Churches, the Christian, Jewish and other signers 
of a letter delivered Sept. 24 to all members of Congress 
especially press the importance of the federal Title I 
program, designed to compensate for the "uneven and unfair" 
local tax base for education.  

They ask Congress to resist efforts to convert the 
Title I program into block grants to the states, urge work 
to ensure that Title I funds are targeted to the schools 
serving the highest percentages of very poor families and to 
the poorest school districts, and "oppose accountability 
provisions in Title I that could result in denial of 
educational services for the very children who need them 
most.

 Further, they support strong funding for bilingual 
education under Title VII, stating, "Increased funding is 
needed for teacher training and for strong programs in 
English as a second language.  We believe all children 
should learn English.  However, as people of faith who 
reflect many cultures, we also understand the need for each 
student to see himself/herself reflected in the curriculum 
through bilingual and multicultural programs."  The full 
text of the letter follows, along with a list of signers.

September 24,1999
Dear Senator/Representative:

We are writing on behalf of many within the religious 
community to urge your consideration of one of the great 
moral issues facing the 106th Congress - the Reauthorization 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  As 
Christians, Jews, and other people of faith, we act in the 
awareness that children are a gift of God, made in God's 
image.  The prophetic call for justice for the poor and 
excluded and Jesus' deep concern for "the least of these" 
reminds us that there are no more vulnerable, less fortunate 
persons than children in poverty.  Because education is the 
only possible escape from poverty for millions of these 
children, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act is a deeply moral issue.  As you consider all 
the options presented to you in the upcoming debate, we urge 
you to keep several fundamental principles in mind:

Maintain the overall objective of the highly successful, 
federal Title I program, and resist efforts to convert it 
into block grants to the states.

 The federal Title I program was designed in 1965 (1) to 
compensate for what expert agree is the uneven and unfair 
tax base for education at the local level due to reliance on 
property tax, and (2) to address the correlation of low 
student achievement with family poverty.  A strong federal 
Title I program is even more important during the 1999 
Reauthorization for two reasons:

 During the past 35 years, the poor have been increasingly 
abandoned in the urban core by the middle class who have 
moved to the suburbs; declining student achievement is 
correlated with the isolation and concentration of 
families in poverty in specific districts and specific 
schools, and with the virtual resegregation of urban 
schools in America.

 State governments have done a poor job of compensating 
for disparities in local tax base; according to the U.S. 
General Accounting Office, across the country school 
funding in wealthy districts in 1998 averaged 24% more 
than in poor districts, even though residents of poor 
districts taxed themselves at higher rates.

Work to ensure that Title I funds are targeted (1) to the 
schools serving the highest percentages of very poor 
families, and (2) to the poorest school districts.

 Please expand target grant provisions to increase funding 
for a district as its number of poor children increases.

 Please expand school wide programs to encourage 
comprehensive reform across the curriculum in a high 
poverty school rather than mere pull-out programs.

Oppose accountability provisions in Title I that could 
result in denial of educational services for the very 
children who need them most.

 A better plan is to support (1) staff development and 
(2) efforts to spread the word about best practices among 
all districts receiving Title I funding.

Support strong funding for bilingual education under Title 
VII.

 Increased funding is needed for teacher training and 
for strong programs in English as a second language.  We 
believe all children should learn English.  However, as 
people of faith who reflect many cultures, we also 
understand the need for each student to see herself/himself 
reflected in the curriculum through bilingual and 
multicultural programs.  Affirming the cultures of all 
children increases educational opportunity.

We seek your support for increased funding for federal 
compensatory education in Title I and bilingual programs in 
Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  We 
firmly oppose devolving these responsibilities to the states 
through block grants.  Nothing is more critical to the 
future of the United States than ensuring that the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act is adequately funded 
and that it continues to target funds to the most needy 
students.

Sincerely,

Ann Delorey, Church Women United
Herbert Blinder, American Ethical Union, Washington Ethical 
Action Office
Lois M. Dauway, The United Methodist Church, Women's 
Division
Rev. Elenora Giddings Ivory, Presbyterian Church (USA), 
Washington Office
Thomas H. Hart, The Episcopal Church
Rev. Jay Lintner, National Council of the Churches of Christ 
in the USA
Curtis Ramsey-Lucas, National Ministries, American Baptist 
Churches USA
James H. Matlack, American Friends Service Committee
Dr. Henry M. Smith, American Jewish Congress
Kenneth Sutton, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious 
Society of Friends
The Rev. Dr. Thom White Wolf Fassett, General Board of 
Church and Society, The United Methodist Church
Rt. Rev. Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophius, Mar Thoma Church
Rev. Jay Lintner, United Church of Christ

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