Nussle scams teachers, children, and our future with NCLB

The Culver campaign released this press release yesterday that pretty much outlines one of the things wrong with NCLB. Despite the unrealistic goals and massive paperwork, it is drastically underfunded. Nussle has played a big part in the underfunding of our children's future.

“Culver accused Nussle of voting for the No Child Left Behind Act
and then refusing to fund it adequately.
Nussle’s campaign denied those claims.
‘I’d say the Culver camp is playing fast and loose with facts,’
said Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for the Nussle campaign.”
[Omaha World Herald, 8/4/06, emphasis added

FACT: Congressman Jim Nussle Voted for No Child Left Behind. [House Vote #497, 12/13/01]

FACT: Congressman Jim Nussle Voted Against Increased NCLB Funding in 2003. Jim Nussle voted against an amendment to increase funding for No Child Left Behind. [House Budget Committee Vote, 3/12/03]

FACT: Congressman Jim Nussle Voted Against Increased NCLB Funding in 2005. Jim Nussle voted against an amendment stating the sense of the Congress that No Child Left Behind should receive full funding. [House Budget Committee Vote, 3/12/03]

FACT: Congressman Jim Nussle Voted to Cut NCLB Funding by $806 Million. Jim Nussle voted for an education budget that cut $806 million from the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative, a more than 3 percent drop. [House Vote #321, 6/24/05]

FACT: Congressman Jim Nussle Voted to Cut NCLB Funding by $784 Million. Jim Nussle voted twice for the 2006 Education Appropriations conference report that included a $784 million cut from No Child Left Behind programs. [House Vote #598, 11/17/05; House Vote #628, 12/14/05]

FACT: “STATES AND DISTRICTS LACK BOTH THE FUNDING AND THE STAFF CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT ALL OF THE DEMANDS OF NCLB.” – Center for Education Policy. The nonpartisan Center for Education Policy issued a study in March 2006, stating: “States and districts lack both the funding and the staff capacity to carry out all of the demands of NCLB, according to our surveys. Some 80% of school districts said they had costs for NCLB that were not covered by federal funds. Thirty-three states reported that federal funds have been inadequate to assist all schools identified for improvement, and less than half of school districts said they have enough money to assist identified schools at least somewhat… The President and the Congress must provide adequate funding for the Act. Both the President and the Congress moved in exactly in the wrong direction last year by approving a cut in federal education spending.” [Center on Education Policy; From the Capital to the Classroom: Year 4 of the No Child Left Behind Act Summary, March 2006, emphasis added]

WHO’S Playing Fast and Loose With the Facts?

**Update**

Ames Wire has asked a few questions about this post and since he doesn't allow comments on his blog, I thought this would be the best place to discuss those.

1. Why limit the focus of screwing to only one politician? What's the motive?
This one is easy. Nussle is the only candidate running against Chet Culver. If Nussle was running against Harkin, Boswell, Grassley, or any other Iowa politician then it would be an entire different story.
2. Leonard Boswell
I am not a huge fan of Boswell. I am pretty sure that I haven't even written about him on this blog and just posted the link to his campaign on this site this week.
3. Then there is this quote:

"But the restriction that NCLB is bad only if it is underfunded is not Common Iowan's point of view. Re-read his post:

Despite the unrealistic goals and massive paperwork...

The bill itself was unrealistic and overly bureaucratic, with or without the funding issue. And yet, all of our politicians voted for it.

If it is agreed that NCLB is bloated and unrealistic, a rational solution is to eliminate it, not to score partisan political points."

The goals of NCLB are admirable, but they fail to look at the statistical realities that walk through the school door everyday. Because of the politicians of both parties, the act is underfunded, so these unrealistic expectations will not even be close to being realized. The act is doomed to fail everytime they vote to underfund it. By not funding it, NCLB has been left behind by the politicians who voted for it.

When it is all said and done, we won't know if NCLB failed because of the unrealistic expections and overly bureaucratic management or lack of funds. At this point, I would say most teachers would say that eliminating it is the only way to go.