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Guest Commentary: September 3, 2001
New Beginnings
The Honorable Henry Bonilla
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Well, it's that time of year again - our kids are heading back to school. It's a time for new beginnings, a new school year, new grade levels, new teachers and new classrooms. Fresh from the long summer break, students all over Texas are trotting off to school once again to begin a new year of homework, studying and tests.
But students aren't the only ones marking a new beginning this school year. Parents, teachers and local communities all over the country are marking a new beginning as well. It's the beginning of the end of the federal one-size-fits-all approach to education.
Earlier this year, Congress passed the president's education plan. The "No Child Left Behind Act" is going to change the education of our children. By cutting the bureaucratic red tape, we’re putting our nation's education system in the hands of educators, not political leaders in Washington, D.C.
Our new approach is going to cut down on federal requirements and give schools more of the flexibility they need and deserve. First things first, we're making it possible for schools to reduce class size by hiring more teachers. This is simple math. The smaller the classroom, the more attention students receive and the better they do in school. And we're not just hiring more teachers, we're also giving schools the freedom to provide more professional development for teachers. The more knowledge our teachers possess, the more our children will receive.
The No Child Left Behind Act is going to promote early reading skills and increase the focus on math and science education. Funds will be allocated for better math and science programs. We're also going to encourage schools to make their programs more rigorous to help children reach higher education goals. The new plan includes a performance-based grant program. This program is going to supply more funding to schools to increase literacy in technology. In other words: schools that need the most help will get the most help.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this legislation is that we’re putting discretion in the hands of the schools. We're giving the schools the decision of how to spend federal funding. They can choose to spend more on development or they can make reducing class size a priority. Schools will make the decisions, not bureaucrats.
This plan is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Of course we're looking at our public education system, but we're also including programs that will protect home schooling and make schools safer from gun violence. This is a comprehensive plan that is going to give the power to the schools, because as we all know: that's where it belongs.
In the spirit of the season, of a new school year and of new beginnings, I'm proud that our new education initiative will begin the process of removing Washington from the education equation. Local control of education will provide our students with the best education possible. Class dismissed.
Note: Rep. Bonilla issues a weekly political commentary. The above has been adpated from his commentary of August 20, 2001.
 How to contact Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas)
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