Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Issue | Background | National PTA Position | How You Can Help | Talking Points

Issue
Over the next several months Congress will be considering a number of legislative proposals that could dramatically change the federal programs that affect nearly every public school district in the nation. Existing programs will be reviewed to see if they should be continued, eliminated, or amended.

The Department of Education has already developed its ESEA reauthorization proposal, and witnesses at House and Senate hearings have outlined a number of block grant, "Super" ed flex, and voucher proposals that they believe should be part of reauthorization legislation.

Background
Most federal elementary and secondary education programs are authorized in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or "ESEA", which is set to expire on September 30, 1999. ESEA is a federal law that was first enacted in 1965 and now includes more than 30 programs providing vital support to states, school districts, and individual classrooms. ESEA includes Title I, professional development grants, bilingual education, educational technology, safe- and drug-free schools, Impact Aid, Title VI, school reform programs, gifted and talented instruction, magnet schools, charter schools, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, just to name a few.

National PTA Position
As one of its main priorities, National PTA will work to strengthen the parent involvement provisions in Title I and expand them so that meaningful parent involvement is a part of all education programs. National PTA will strive to retain the targeting and focused purpose of ESEA programs, and will oppose attempts to create block grants or vouchers within the ESEA.

How You Can Help
Review the "Guide to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act" and the U.S. Department of Education website for more information about the issues involved in the reauthorization process. As legislation advances, you will be receiving notices about specific proposals that we will be supporting or opposing.

Talking Points
ESEA programs, which have been created to address specific national concerns, have evolved with nearly thirty-five years of strong bipartisan support. They supplement state and local efforts to provide equitable access to high quality educational services for all children and grant tremendous flexibility to states and school districts in designing local programs.

Overall, the National PTA believes the reforms that were set in the last reauthorization—to tie achievement to high standards for all children—are good and need to be more fully implemented.

National PTA believes the parent involvement provisions in Title I need to be strengthened to assure they are implemented and extended to all schools receiving ESEA funds.

Schools face numerous challenges in providing quality education services to all children. They need the leadership, technical assistance, and financial support of the federal government to build their capacity to help all children learn.