Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, May 24, 2001

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, May 24, 2001 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 205 1 5 CONTACT: Henry Fawell 202/225-3061 House Approves President Bush’s Landmark Education Reform Package WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (MD-2) voted yesterday for a historic education reform package, championed by President George W. Bush, which dispels Washington's "one-size-fits-all" policy and returns decision-making authority to parents and local school leaders. H.R. 1 , The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, of which Congressman Ehrlich is an original cosponsor, was adopted by the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Congressman Ehrlich stated, "Today’s vote is a momentous victory for students and parents. With Senate approval, we can brush aside the low expectations of today’s school system and replace them with high standards of accountability and achievement.” H.R. 1 holds states accountable for improving student achievement by requiring annual state testing in reading and math for students in grades 3 through 8. Scores will give Maryland's parents a clear assessment of their child's performance each school year. Likewise, schools that make the greatest improvements in providing a quality education to disadvantaged students will be rewarded with monetary bonuses. Congressman Ehrlich continued, “The federal government has thrown $80 billion into education programs in the last ten years. Student achievement, however, continues to decline because Washington failed to hold schools accountable for student performance. President Bush has taken a no-nonsense approach to student performance by demanding annual testing requirements that hold schools accountable to parents.” Additionally, H.R. 1 provides states with unprecedented flexibility to spend federal dollars in a manner they see fit. Specifically, school districts may transfer up to 50 percent of funds between federal programs. For instance, if a school district in Maryland has a surplus of federal dollars designated for teacher improvement, that district may redirect a portion of the surplus toward a program with greater needs, such as drug-free school programs or technology upgrades in the classroom.