From the Southern Illinoisan...

Debate on No Child Left Behind Act coming to SIU

by: jason lee
the southern

CARBONDALE - Two major players in the passage of the federal No Child Left Behind Act will debate whether the controversial legislation is making the grade Tuesday night at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, and former U.S. Secretary of Education Rodney Paige will delve into both sides of the issue at 7 p.m. at Shryock Auditorium. The university's Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is hosting the free event.

Signed by President Bush in January 2002, No Child Left Behind is designed to increase accountability for states, school districts and schools to improve student achievement while providing parents more flexibility in choosing what school their children will attend.

Bush garnered rare bipartisan support to get the measure passed as part of his first-term agenda. But since then, the law has become a subject of heated dispute, earning both praise and criticism from lawmakers and the educational community.

Institute Director Mike Lawrence said Daschle and Paige were instrumental in advancing the legislation and Tuesday's debate would be "very enlightening to learn about their different views" on its effectiveness.

"This will be their first public debate anywhere on this issue, and we're very pleased that this initial debate is coming to Southern Illinois," Lawrence said. "This is one of the most important measures passed during the Bush administration and there are strong views on both sides of the issue."

Daschle served 11 years in the Senate before being defeated by Republican John Thorne in November 2004.

He currently serves as a visiting professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University.

Daschle was one of 87 U.S. Senators to support the law, but since has criticized the measure because he thinks it has failed to meet its goals.

Paige, a former dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University, served as U.S. secretary for education during President Bush's first term.

He was the first African American to hold the post before resigning in November 2004.

He has been an outspoken and controversial advocate of No Child Left Behind. In February 2004, Paige publicly referred to the National Education Association (NEA) - the nation's largest teachers union - as a "terrorist organization" in its fight to weaken the law's provisions. He later apologized for the statement, but maintained the NEA was using "obstructionist scare tactics" in opposing the law. The union called for his resignation.

Lawrence said the debate would focus on whether the legislation is meeting its goals and whether schools have improved. Daschle and Paige will also field questions from the audience, Lawrence said.

"It's very important that this legislation be debated throughout the country," he said.

The follow-up report, also from the Southern Illinoisan...

No child left behind?: Paige, Daschle debate federal act at SIUC

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

CARBONDALE - Former U.S. education secretary Rodney Paige faced a tough crowd, while former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle had numerous opportunities to grandstand during a debate over the No Child Left Behind Act Tuesday night, an event sponsored by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The two former public officials, both of whom left their respective offices in 2005 but were instrumental in the federal education act's passage in 2002, sparred with one another over funding concerns and accountability standards that continue to spur controversy in school districts across the country. The debate took place in Shryock Auditorium on the SIUC campus and was the first such event between the Bush-appointed Paige and Daschle, who at one time was a Democratic congressional leader.

Paige opened the evening with remarks that NCLB has received "scant real understanding" among the general public and that many critical issues surrounding the act are often pushed aside, while detractors harp on perceived shortcomings in federal funding. The former education secretary said there was no such thing as unfunded mandates in NCLB and contended anyone who bothers to view past federal budgets will see schools have been given billions to meet standards outlined in the act.

"The amount of money being pushed through was so massive, it was choking the states that use them," Paige said.

The majority of Paige's comments through the night were met with grumbles from the audience; although it was clear he had his supporters in the crowd.

However, Daschle appeared to be the crowd favorite in most instances, gaining rounds of applause for pointing out he clearly saw NCLB was full of unfunded mandates and stated the act has the ability to do more damage than good to schools if not kept in check.

"It's wrong to set high standards but not give schools the tools they need to reach them," Daschle said, citing several cases of schools cutting back staff and programs in subjects that aren't tested by states to gauge yearly standards under NCLB. He added he is also worried by some states that have opted to lower education standards to degrees all schools can meet in an effort to avoid sanctions wielded under NCLB.

The two spent most of the night fielding questions from audience members, but rarely strayed too far from the talking points of their opening remarks.

The debate ended on an even keel, though, with the audience warmly accepting both men's closing statements.

"Our children are the message to a future we will never see," Daschle said. "We have to ask ourselves what message we send with NCLB."

The former senator said he would like to see NCLB become more than just another false start in the history of American education reforms.

Paige told the audience children today will enter a world where every country has recognized the value of education. They have to be ready to compete and be held accountable for educating students.

"We will not allow this nation to fail based on a lack of education," Paige said.