An OSBA newsletter for school board members on the No Child Left Behind Act — November 2005

Legislative issues                                                                                               by Fred Pausch, director of legislative services
Vouchers still in question; hurricane relief for schools still stalled
The U.S. Senate continues negotiations over a relief bill for schools and students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A major sticking point remains the issue of private school vouchers. As of this print, S. 1715, a bipartisan bill sponsored by Sens. Edward Kennedy ( D-Massachusetts) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) remains stalled. A new hurricane relief bill for school districts that includes an unprecedented, voucher-like component, S. 1904, was just introduced by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee), Kennedy, Enzi and Christopher Dodd ( D-Connecticut). The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has already sent correspondence to the full U.S. Senate opposing this bill. The NSBA message also urges senators to follow established federal law and provide services, not federal dollars, to private schools, while also providing public schools, especially those in the Gulf Coast region, with the funds they desperately need. It is unclear when this matter will be resolved.

Curriculum issues                                                                             by Rob Delane. director of school board development
Flexibility built into NCLB
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, states and school districts have unprecedented flexibility in how they use federal education funds. It is possible for most school districts to transfer up to 50% of the federal formula grant funds they receive under the Improving Teacher Quality State Grants, Educational Technology, Innovative Programs, and Safe and Drug-Free Schools programs to any one of these programs, or to their Title I efforts, without separate approval. This allows districts to use funds for their particular needs, such as hiring new teachers, increasing their pay, and improving teacher training and professional development. For more information visit: ww w.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/4pillars.html.