By Joan Crigger
February 3, 2003

On Wednesday, January 22, the first meeting of the newly created Education Standing Committee took place. Sitting in for chair Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell was Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill. Mayor Campbell arrived shortly after the meeting began.

Mayor O'Neill opened the meeting by highlighting the transition from the Jobs, Education and Workforce Committee, which she chaired for four years, to the Education Committee. She spoke about the need for more basic education for most young people in cities.

A panel consisting of David Dunn, Special Assistant to the President, Anne White, Majority Labor Counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Joel Packer, federal lobbyist for the National Education Association (NEA), spoke to the mayors about the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Mr. Dunn provided the mayors with an overview of the No Child Left Behind Act and indicated that there has been some remarkable achievements in education over the last 10 to 12 years because of accountability — one of the primary tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act.

Dunn highlighted the four pillars of the Act — accountability, high standards, measurement and goal setting. Mr. Dunn talked about rewards for doing well and consequences for not meeting goals. He indicated that the law does not use the term "failing schools" but indicated that in certain areas 50% to 60% of the schools need improvement, and in other areas 100% of schools need improvement.

Ms. White provided the mayors with an overview of the status of IDEA, which is scheduled for re-authorization this year. According to Ms. White, the No Child Left Behind Act radically reforms Special Education because of the newly required testing that sets high expectations for all kids. She also indicated that the Act created early reading programs to help children learn to read early so they can be kept out of Special Education unless there is a real need.

Ms. White also talked about the issue of accessibility when the law was written in 1975, and the goal to reduce the disproportionate numbers of minority students now in Special Education programs. She also indicated that some Special Education funds should be spent on safe and secure classrooms.

Ms White also mentioned the issue of transition from school to work or post secondary education and indicated that there needs to be better coordination between Vocational Rehabilitation programs and all other programs.

Mr. Packer shared with the mayors some of NEAs concerns about the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. He indicated that everybody is in agreement with the goals of the Act but that the statute is overly prescriptive. He mentioned the statewide assessments in reading and math but was concerned that the assessments did not take into account many other things. He said there is no credit given for increasing the graduation rate and that there is no credit given for interim improvements.

Mayor Campbell thanked all the panelists and opened the floor to the mayors. Boston Mayor Conference of Mayors President Thomas M. Menino congratulated Mayor Campbell on the success of the Cleveland referendum to keep mayoral control of the school system. He indicated that there were a lot of mandates in the Act and said that "One size does not fit all, with 140 languages in the Boston schools."

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry spoke of the frustration of the mayors, especially in California, where they must bear the brunt of failing schools but have no authority over the local school system.

Eugene, OR Mayor James Torrey related that a $35 million referendum to fill the gap in education funding in Eugene won by a small margin. He said, "I am not responsible for education, but I am responsible for the quality of life element that you cannot have without a good education system."

Pembroke Pines Mayor Alex Fekete told about charter schools in his city and said that they are saving considerable money over the regular schools.

Mayor Campbell addressed her concerns about the connection of better education to the Re-authorization of Welfare Reform. She said that in Cleveland every child gets free lunch and free breakfast because of the overwhelming poverty of kids in the Cleveland School System. She said that states cannot continue to use Welfare Reform surplus funds to support state budgets but must be spend those funds where there is a proven need.

Mayor Campbell adjourned the meeting indicating that the discussion had just begun for mayors in education.