The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee (HELP) completed work on the bill this week. The measure now goes before the full Senate, where Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts today promised to "improve it."

S. 2 includes several components supported by the Republican majority on HELP and opposed by AASA:

• An amendment that would allow students in failing public schools to use Title I funds as vouchers at private or parochial schools;

• An "Academic Achievement for All" compromise proposal, drafted by the National Governor’s Association, that would take all federal programs, including Title I, now sent by formula to local districts, and instead send those funds to each state’s governor for unfocused distribution;

• An amendment for a 15-state pilot project for U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg’s version of "Academic Achievement for All"; and

• A requirement that failing schools offer public school choice.

Kennedy specifically criticized the block grants in the underlying bill and the amendments to add Gregg’s block grant and private school vouchers in denouncing S.2.

"Today, the Republicans showed their true colors by turning a bad education bill into an even worse right-wing bill," Kennedy said. "My Democratic colleagues and I look forward to a strong debate on education on the floor."

The Clinton administration also opposes the block grant proposal, and President Clinton has threatened to veto such legislation.

S. 2 does include the AASA-backed Rural Education Initiative that would allow small, rural districts greater flexibility in spending federal funds.

Unlike the House’s piecemeal approach, the Senate is reauthorizing ESEA in a single bill. The House is scheduled to consider the remaining pieces of its plan later this month.  

Natalie Carter Holmes, Editor