Murray: Inequality in School Resources Holds Students Back

(Washington, D.C.) – Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) submitted remarks for the record in support of a bipartisan amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act that would address inequalities in educational resources. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 46-50.

“While I am disappointed that this important amendment to address inequality in school districts and states across the country did not pass in the Senate, I am pleased by the strong bipartisan show of support for combating inequality in school resources, and I will continue to work on this issue as the bill moves forward,” Senator Murray said. “As this bill moves to a conference, I will be fighting to ensure all students get the resources they need to succeed in the classroom, regardless of where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make.”

In her remarks, as submitted for the record, Murray highlighted that too often, students of color, English-language learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds have the least access to resources that can help them get ahead. Murray noted the amendment, offered by Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would require states to identify resource disparities that exist and to create a plan to address them.

Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks as submitted for the record:

“In our country, all students should have access to a quality public education, no matter where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make.  So that is why I am glad our bipartisan bill to fix No Child Left Behind has federal protections to hold schools accountable for educating all students. And I will continue to fight for stronger protections as the bill moves forward.  But educating all students is tall order if schools don’t have the very resources that help students succeed. That’s why it’s so important to make sure states address inequalities in resources.”

“Students do better in school when they have access to a well-rounded education…But too many students across the country do not have access to those critical resources.  And too often, it’s students of color, kids with disabilities, English-language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds who have the least access to resources that can help them get ahead.”

“All of this inequality holds students back. It widens achievement gaps, it robs students of the chance to learn and excel in the classroom, and we need to do something about it, so all students have the opportunity to learn. We’ve made important progress in the Every Child Achieves Act.  Under the current bill, school districts will already be required to report on: access to safe and healthy school environments, per-pupil expenditures, access to advanced coursework, the number of children enrolled in preschool, and teacher qualifications. And that’s a good step in the right direction.  But this bipartisan amendment would take the next step.”

“…some of my Republican colleagues have argued that we don’t need this amendment because states and school districts should be responsible for solving resource disparities.  But for too long, states and school districts have gotten off the hook for stark inequality. That’s why we’ve seen the persistent inequality of some schools simply not getting the resources they need to help their students succeed. And that needs to end.”

Full text of Senator Murray’s remarks as submitted for the record:

“M. President, when all students have the chance to learn, we strengthen our future workforce. Our country grows stronger. We empower the next generation of Americans to lead the world. We create more opportunities for more families. And we help the economy grow from the middle out, not the top down. 

“But today, across the country, stark educational inequalities exist. The students in some schools simply don’t have the same opportunity to graduate college-and-career ready like other students do.

“In our country, all students should have access to a quality public education, no matter where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make.  So that is why I am glad our bipartisan bill to fix No Child Left Behind has federal protections to hold schools accountable for educating all students. And I will continue to fight for stronger protections as the bill moves forward.

“But educating all students is tall order if schools don’t have the very resources that help students succeed. That’s why it’s so important to make sure states address inequalities in resources.

“M. President, the Senators Kirk, Reed, Baldwin, and Brown have offered a bipartisan amendment that would help schools and states address persistent inequalities in resources and opportunities.  And I strongly urge my colleagues to support it.

“Students do better in school when they have access to a well-rounded education.  That includes rigorous coursework that helps prepare students for a college curriculum. It includes offering classes like arts, music, physical education, and STEM education.  It includes setting up effective school library programs that can inspire in kids a love for reading. Those classes and those programs create a school environment where students can learn and thrive.

“But too many students across the country do not have access to those critical resources.  And too often, it’s students of color, kids with disabilities, English-language learners, and students from low-income backgrounds who have the least access to resources that can help them get ahead.

“Take experienced teachers, for example. Students of color are more likely to have a teacher who is new to the profession.  These students often don’t have access to advanced classes and classes like art and music.  

“Students of color are more likely than their white peers to go to a high school that does not offer AP classes. In fact, 20 percent of African-American high schoolers go to a high school that does not offer AP classes. And in 2008, white students were twice as likely to have access to arts education as African-American and Hispanic students.

“The same inequality exists for access to technology. Students from low-income backgrounds often don’t have access to the internet or to computers, compared to their peers.

“A study from Stanford University put this into sharp focus. The researchers asked teachers if their students have the digital tools they need to effectively complete assignments at home.  More than half of teachers from more affluent schools said yes.  But just 3 percent of teachers from high-poverty schools said their students had access to tools like computers and the internet.

“All of this inequality holds students back. It widens achievement gaps, it robs students of the chance to learn and excel in the classroom, and we need to do something about it, so all students have the opportunity to learn.

“We’ve made important progress in the Every Child Achieves Act.  Under the current bill, school districts will already be required to report on: access to safe and healthy school environments, per-pupil expenditures, access to advanced coursework, the number of children enrolled in preschool, and teacher qualifications. And that’s a good step in the right direction.

“But this bipartisan amendment would take the next step.

“First, it would expand the list of resource indicators to include things like access to art and music and dedicated school library programs. And it would give states a choice on which resources will be the most meaningful in their communities.

“M. President, most importantly, this amendment would help states remedy opportunity gaps across school districts.  It does this by requiring states to create a plan to improve access to resources in the schools that lack those tools. And because the plans will be designed by the states and must include input from the communities, these plans will be tailored to fit the needs of local school districts. 

“And M. President – states would be required to disaggregate the data on how resources are distributed by income, race, language proficiency, and disability. That will shine a light on if some groups of students are not getting the kinds of opportunities as others, and it will help parents know which resources their local schools offer and where the gaps are.

“In short, this amendment will help strengthen our commitment to providing a quality education to all students.  This amendment is also important for another key reason. Of course, nearly everyone agrees that the current law, No Child Left Behind, is badly broken. And one of the main reasons is that it placed an almost singular focus on test scores for reading and math.

“But test scores do not paint the whole picture of how a school is performing. This amendment would give parents and communities a more holistic view to determine if a school is providing a quality learning environment for all students.  And most importantly, this will help states focus resources on traditionally underserved populations so they will get the supports they need to succeed.

“Now, M. President, some of my Republican colleagues have argued that we don’t need this amendment because states and school districts should be responsible for solving resource disparities.  But for too long, states and school districts have gotten off the hook for stark inequality.

“That’s why we’ve seen the persistent inequality of some schools simply not getting the resources they need to help their students succeed. And that needs to end.

“This amendment would not tell states how to address inequality. But it would require them to identify the disparities that exist and to create a plan to address them. That’s why this amendment would be a good step in the right direction.

“M. President, I know that others have argued that simply reporting the disparities between resources would be enough.  But acknowledging the problem won’t necessarily solve the problem.  And on something as important as ensuring that students have equal opportunities to succeed, we need action. And that is why I believe it is so important that this amendment would help states act to address inequalities.

“M. President, this isn’t just important for student success in the classroom, it has long-term implications for our country.

“When some students don’t have the chance to graduate from high school college-and-career ready, we lose out on the full potential of our nation’s future workforce, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

“M. President, in the years to come, our economy will rely on the students of today being able to take on and create the jobs of the 21^st century economy.  We can help states and school districts make sure all students have the resources that defines a quality education by supporting this bill and this amendment.

“These resources are fundamental to student success – in school and in the future.  So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to address resources equity.

“Thank you, M. President. I yield the floor.”

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