THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 28, 1995 TAG: 9506280003
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By DONALD S. BEYER JR.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
The Virginia Board of Education made the right decision in voting to join Goals 2000, a federally funded program aimed at improving education. But the Allen administration is blocking Virginia's participation in the program for fear of ``unprecedented federal intrusion.'' This fear is unfounded and not only denies Virginia's schools millions of federal dollars but also denies Virginia an opportunity to demonstrate a clear commitment to excellence in education.
In 1994, Congress passed the Goals 2000: Educate America Act to establish national-education goals and standards of proficiency in a variety of areas, including math and science. The program, started under President Bush, aims to provide Aemrican students and teachers with the resources and training they need to be more competitive in the global marketplace. At the state level, Goals 2000 has spent a relatively modest amount ($85 million) for projects such as foreign-language training, computer-technology improvements and apprenticeship programs to better prepare American students for the workplace of the 21st century.
The worthy goals outlined in the program are the result of considerable bipartisan efforts and the cooperation of the education and business communities. To date, 48 states have embraced the idea of raising academic standards and have applied for funds available under the program - but not Virginia.
Since May, when the Virginia Board of Education first voted to buy computers with $1.7 million in Goals 2000 money, the governor has stalled the application process. The U.S. Department of Education rejected the governor's request to push back the June 30 application deadline. Unless he takes action now, Virginia will be denied millions of education dollars to which it would be otherwise entitled.
Virginia's taxpayers need and deserve those resources just as much as taxpayers from those other 48 states. But the administration seems willing to shortchange Virginia students to press an intractable ``states rights'' campaign. As other governors have demonstrated with their support for Goals 2000, our schools are not an appropriate battleground for that political fight.
Virginia spends $5 billion on education each year. Of this, $350 million comes from the federal government. The Virginia Board of Education plans to seek some $7 million in Goals 2000 funding over two years. It is unreasonable to argue that this 1 percent increase in funding annually will result in a new crisis of federal intrusion in our schools. In fact, many of the current federally funded education programs in which Virginia participates have far more stringent requirements.
But Goals 2000 is not just about money. It is about facing the challenge of making our schools work better. Virginia can and should meet this challenge.
Goals 2000 does not dictate a national curriculum. It establishes voluntary guidelines that states and local school districts can choose to adopt or modify to meet their specific needs. Furthermore, the goals are broad and practical, such as increasing graduation rates, assisting American students in becoming the best in math and sciences worldwide, and providing safe, drug-free schools.
The shortsightedness of rejecting Goals 2000 funding will not be missed by the many companies Virginia hopes to recruit. An executive of the German corporation Siemens has already questioned the governor's judgment, since the company needs to provide vocational and remedial education to many of its workers at its Newport News plant. Even at home, the governor's approach rejects the advice of the Virginia Business Council, the Chamber of Commerce and PTAs.
Simply throwing money at a problem does not solve it, and Goals 2000 is not a panacea for the nation's educational challenges. It is ironic that the governor is willing to spend billions to build prisons, yet will not invest in 1,000 new computers for Virginia students at no additional cost to the commonwealth's taxpayers.
Maintaining local and state control of Virginia's education system is necessary, but the administration is making a mistake. By not applying for Goals 2000 funding, it is sacrificing the quality of Virginia's schools and Virginia's historic reputation for leadership and excellence in education. MEMO: Mr. Beyer, a Northern Virginia businessman, is lieutenant governor of
Virginia.
by CNB