EdAction
Maple River Education Coalition PAC
105 Peavey Rd, St 116 
Chaska, MN  55318 
952-361-4931
http://www.EdAction.org
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May 18, 2001

HR1 begins floor action
We oppose this bill!

HR1, to reauthorize federal spending for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was introduced on the House floor this week. Discussion of the bill is to begin Monday afternon or evening, and debate over 28 different amendments will start Tuesday, May 22nd. (See those amendments).

None of the amendments to be debated will remove the federal Title I mandates for states to implement and assess the already established Goals 2000/STW content standards.

We OPPOSE this bill! It drives the radical restructuring of education forward in every state. It continues to hold states accountable to federal agencies for implementing an outcome based, skills oriented, minimum competency national core curriculum that teaches a worldview that is alien to the beliefs of most Americans.

We support the following two amendments as valuable additions to HR1:

1. Graham/Tiarht amendment:

• Establishes the right of parents to inspect and review instructional materials and to inspect and review surveys, analyzes or evaluations before being given to a student.
• Requires surveys, analyses, or evaluations concerning political affiliations or beliefs, mental or psychological problems, sexual behavior or attitudes, illegal or antisocial behavior, appraisals of family relationships, other privileged relationships, or religious practices or belief to have prior, informed, written consent of parents.
• Requires medical or mental health exams, testing treatment or immunizations to have prior, written, informed consent of parents, unless expressly permitted by state law.

2. Akin Amendment:

• Requires that the test measure "objective knowledge, based on measurebale, verifiable, and widely accepted professional testing and assessment standards, and shall not assess the personal opinions, attitudes, or beliefs of the student being assessed."

The following two amendments are useful.  We support them, but they do not significantly address the primary problems with HR1.

3. Hoekstra/Frank Amendment

• Eliminates the requirement to test students every year from grades 3 through 8. NOTE: This amendment does NOT remove the federal mandates to the Goals 2000/STW content standards.

4. Norwood/Barr/Graves Amendment

• Institutes the right to discipline students with disabilities.

EdAction - 105 Peavey Rd, Ste 116, Chaska, MN  55318 
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