Ehrlich on Washington column, February 21, 2000

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of February 2 1 , 2000 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Striving Toward Straight A’s in Education This term, Republicans have focused on improving the quality of American public education. Congress adopted H.R. 2300, “The Academic Achievement for All Act” (The Straight A’s Act) offering states the opportunity to focus their education resources on student needs and not on complying with burdensome federal mandates. In the past, federal bureaucrats would attach strings to their education dollars, dictating to schools from Portland, Oregon to Baltimore, Maryland how money must be spent. This landmark education initiative replaces federal red tape with funding freedom and student achievement. The Straight A’s Act is a simple concept long overdue for federal education policy. It’s an agreement - a contract - between the states and the federal government. It provides a heretofore missing flexibility to states to use federal money in the best possible way for students - without a D.C.- based bureaucrat looking over their shoulder. It ensures accountability from states with student performance goals strictly monitored by the federal government. Most of all, it lets state and local education authorities think creatively about how best to help their students. Under the leadership of Speaker Hastert, a long-time high school educator and coach, the