H’burg school board vs. the feds
Brent Finnegan -- February 2nd, 2007
The Harrisonburg school board is getting mentioned in the non-local media for standing up against Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act, which doesn’t have testing exceptions or alternatives for schools with large ESL/LEP populations. Yesterday it was mentioned in the Washington Post. Today the H’burg school board has the support of the NSBA, which points out the alternatives available to the US Congress, and adds:
Virginia is not the only state that did not comply with the law’s testing requirements for LEP students. More than a dozen other states had been told that their assessments for LEP did not meet NCLB requirements during federal assessment reviews. Virginia was singled out apparently because some local school boards openly challenged ED’s testing requirements.
It’s unclear to me what — if anything — local legislators are doing to assist the educators.
Matt Lohr recently voted to cut funding to churches and charitable organizations who indiscriminately help immigrants in need. Where is the legislation to help the school board?
Finnegan, that is tax money. Do you really think taxes should pay for people that aren’t here legally? Of course there are plenty of other things our taxes pay for, but shouldn’t. If individuals or churches wish to help people, regardless of their legal status, with their own money I’m all for it–that is what we should be doing–, but I don’t think the government should subsidize illegals.
Finnegan, why would you be in favor of government taking money from it’s citizenry and giving either to churches or non-profits, which already pay no taxes.
While I strongly commend the School Board for thumbing their noses at NCLB, I want to see how far they’re willing to take them to the mat.
Ironic how as recently as Ronald Reagan, the Republicans wanted the federal government to have no part of education, now we’ve got a republican actually growing the Department of Education. Of course, I hear no other republicans in Congress or otherwise trying to get the feds out of education either.
Megan, I’m always impressed with how civil and respectful you are in the VA blogosphere. You’re one of the few…
I understand the reasons for tax money not going to churches at all (the separation of church and state) but I also think that once the money is in the church, it’s the church’s duty to help whoever comes to them for help, regardless of legal status. I don’t remember reading anything in the New Testament about only helping certain people, and turning others away because they’re “illegal.”
Second, as cook has mentioned here before, being undocumented is not a crime under US or VA law.
Third, when undocumented immigrants get jobs here, they’re generally paid over-the-table, which means they are paying state, federal and SS tax. So, they’re actually taxpayers.
Briggman, like I said to Megan, I understand the argument for not giving tax money to churches and charities at all. My point is: either don’t give churches and charities a dime, OR let them help who they need to help, in keeping with their faith.
I highly doubt these organizations seek out undocumented immigrants. It’s more likely that they just help whoever comes through the door.
What is truly ironic, and somewhat poetic, is that the majority of the H’burg school board and Dr. Ford have been openly supportive of the politicians and the party who put these policies into place. And they endorsed Matt Lohr against the only local politician who has ever actually worked and campaigned to stand up for them on issues just such as this. They helped to make this bed, I wonder how well it sleeps?
Good point.
In regards to Briggman’s comment about taking it to the mat, I saw this blog post, saying that the revolt against NCLB is all smoke and mirrors.
Del. Steve Landes, whose 25th district includes part of Rockingham, introduced HB2542, which rently passed the house. HB2542 says that if the feds cut off funding for noncompliant schools, Virginia’s AG will sue the DoE for those funds.
They may mostly be Republicans, but none of them want to lose that federal DoE money.