Education – Federal Aid to Education (2006)

Federal Aid to Education (2006)

The No Child Left Behind law, which is designed to help students throughout the country achieve greater levels of proficiency in reading and math, requires states to design their own tests. Some states have used commercial tests, some have created their own, and some have combined the two approaches. This conforms to the lsaw’s insistence on local control of education and course content.

The students must reach greater levels of achievement in grades three to eight based on their scores on the state=developed tests. In order to quality for federal education funds, states must also participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress assessments in math and reading in grades four and eight. While 90% of a state’s students may reach a high level of proficiency on the state developed test, as low as 1% may score proficient on the NAEP test. This is a major disparity.

While maintaining local control is not only part of the law and, in our opinion, a paramount concern, we support the development of national standards for testing of all students.

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism resolves that:

  1. The Federal government should encourage the participation of the states and universities to develop quality standards and curriculum.
  2. Federal funds should be directed to improving the education and training of teachers and funding the No Child Left Behind Law.
  3. In order to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind Law, no exemptions from the requirement to ‘disaggregate’ [separating data by racial and ethnic background] testing data should be allowed.

Federal Aid to Education (1964)

National Women’s League supports increased Federal fund for education. We recognize that the American public school system has furthered democracy and has contributed to the development of a free society. The nation, as a whole, suffers when public schools are substandard in any village, city, state or region. The inequality of the financial resources among the states, the need for more classrooms, competent staffs and modern equipment, in many local public school districts, have made Federal Aid to public education urgent.

We believe that citizens of the United States owe their religious freedom largely to the separation of Church and State. Our religious tradition has been preserved through religious education maintained and supported solely by religious communities. Government aid to religiously oriented schools, (Protestant, Catholic or Jewish), whether in the form of long-term, low-interest loans, or outright subsidies, transportation, textbooks and other supplies, would be a grave dis-service to both religious and public education. However, free lunches, medical and dental services should be extended to all children as welfare aids, regardless of the schools they attend.

We deplore the impairment of the separation principle, embodied in a number of Federal statutes, including the National Defense Education Act of 1958 and the College Aid bill of 1963, which provide aid to church-related colleges and universities.

National Women’s League urges Congress to halt further impairment of the separation principle and to amend existing Federal statutes, providing aid to education, to insure that no tax monies be used for the support of religious institutions.

We also urge that Federal funds be granted only to those states where serious efforts are being made to desegregate their public schools.

Federal Aid To Education (1962)

“Mine anointed ones – these are the school children: And my Prophets – these are the scholars.” – Talmud – Shabbat 119b

National Women’s League believes that citizens of the United States of America owe their religious freedom largely to the uniquely American principle of the separation of Church and State. We recognize that the American public school system has furthered democracy and has contributed to the development in our youth of the ideals of a free society. The need for more classrooms, competent staffs and modern equipment in local public school districts, makes Federal Aid essential.

We agree with President Kennedy however, that public funds should be used for public schools only. Governmental aid to religiously-controlled schools, (Protestant, Catholic or Jewish), whether in the form of long-term, low-interest loans or outright subsidies, would do a grave disservice to both religion and public education. Our opposition to governmental aid extends as well to transportation, textbooks and other supplies; but free lunches and medical and dental services should be extended to all children as welfare aids, regardless of the schools they attend.

National Women’s League therefore urges:

  1. The 88th Congress to enact legislation to provide federal aid to supplement State allocations to local public school systems;
  2. That such federal funds be conditioned upon compliance with school desecration decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal Aid to Education (1960)

“Mine anointed ones – these are the school children: And my Prophets – these are the scholars.” – Talmud – Shabbat 119b

National Women’s League recognizes that the American public school system educates for a free society which furthers democracy and contributes to the development of our youth. Local school districts are confronted with the need for more classrooms, competent staffs and modern equipment which they cannot supply with the funds at their disposal.

National Women’s League was encouraged when both Houses of the 86th Congress passed bills for financial help in school construction. Included in the Senate bill were funds for teachers’ salaries. The difference in the House and Senate bills required a conference to work out a compromise bill but the powerful House Rules Committee of the 86th Congress blocked this conference thus obstructing this legislation.

National Women’s League therefore urges:

  1. The 87th Congress to enact legislation to provide financial assistance for construction of public schools and supplement State funds for public school teachers’ salaries and scholarship grants;
  2. That such Federal funds be withheld from states, communities and school districts which have not at least made an adequate start toward racial integration in he schools in keeping with the U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the subject;
  3. The repeal of the Loyalty Oath for student loans, a provision in the National Defense Education Act.