Spokesperson for Senator Kennedy on Implemenation of Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act

WASHINGTON, DC— Melissa Wagoner, spokeswoman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy, today released the following statement on the US Department of Education’s evaluation of Title III programs under the No Child Left Behind Act that was reported to Congress last week. “Senator Kennedy is pleased to know that thanks to hard work and tireless dedication, teachers and parents are helping more English language learners than ever to reach high standards in the nation’s public schools. But he feels more needs to be done to see that all English language learners will benefit from the reforms in the No Child Left Behind Act. High-quality programs are essential, yet six years after passage of the Act, the Administration still cannot tell us how many students actually have access to effective, research-based programs. Thousands of teachers working in ESL and bilingual programs need additional training to meet the needs of these learners. Yet the Administration has dedicated only $163 under Title III for each English language learner this year. No Child Left Behind can’t live up to its promise to English language learners by shortchanging these students in its budget.”

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