A preview of President George W. Bush’s education budget for next fiscal year reveals the White House funding proposal once again shortchanges programs to help students succeed in school, according to figures obtained by AFT.

Congress has promised some $19.3 billion for the Title I program that helps schools educate disadvantaged students. But Bush’s budget proposal only provides $12.5 billion, a $6.8 billion funding gap that breaks the Bush administration’s promise to improve public education through reduced class size and implement other educational improvements, AFT says, citing budget figures recently released by the Congressional Research Service. The funding is crucial to schools aiming to accomplish the goals required by the No Child Left Behind Act—the education reform law Bush has championed. 

“The White House and Congress can’t have it both ways—tout the law as a giant step forward but deny billions of dollars to carry out its requirements,” says AFT President Sandra Feldman, who backs the standards and accountability required by the No Child Left Behind law but says they are being threatened because of serious underfunding.

School districts could reduce class sizes and implement other methods to improve education if Bush did not seek to shortchange schools by $6.8 billion, AFT shows in a state-by-state analysis of the shortfall’s impact. For example, California schools could fund smaller class sizes for 1.1 million students with its share of the funding shortfall; in Texas, more than 85,000 additional students could participate in pre-kindergarten classes; and in Florida, more than 46,000 uncertified teachers could become certified.

In all, 7.3 million children nationwide could attend smaller classes, more than 934,000 children could have access to pre-kindergarten classes and more than 908,000 teachers, currently in classrooms without certification, could become certified if federal funding were adequate, says AFT.

“If we want to reap the benefits of this important law, we must…focus on—and support—the programs that improve student achievement,” says Feldman.

More

• Read AFT’s analysis and state-by-state chart on the Bush education budget shortfall.
• See AFT’s webpage on the No Child Left Behind law.
• Check out the AFL-CIO’s education policy resources online.
• Read “Steering a Course to Quality Schools” in America@work.
• Get more information on Bush’s record on issues affecting working families.