U.S. Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Education Equity

On Thursday, May 23, 2002, the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing entitled "America's Schools: Providing Equal Opportunity or Still Separate and Unequal."

The hearing, chaired by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), sought to explore options for amending the No Child Left Behind act to ensure equitable resources for schools that serve low-income, urban, rural, and minority students. "The federal and state governments are not doing their part," Dodd said, adding, "We must also be held accountable" by ensuring adequate resources to allow students to meet high standards.

In his testimony, Michael A. Rebell, the executive director of CFE and ACCESS, presented statistical and anecdotal evidence of the gross resource disparities between low-wealth and high-wealth school districts that has emerged through education finance litigations in 43 of the 50 states, including the CFE case in New York. "In contrast to basic principles of democracy and equal educational opportunity," Rebell said, "the stark reality is that children with the greatest needs are actually given the least resources. The United States is the only major developed country in the world that exhibits this shameful pattern of educational inequity."

Rebell called on Congress to fully fund Title I and IDEA, and link increased funding to "a comprehensive, methodical, and needs-based costing-out of standards-based education in every state," which in many states "would be the first time the true costs of adequate educational opportunities would be ascertained."

At the hearing, Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), described his new "Students' Bill of Rights" legislation that would require states to provide all students adequate resources in seven critical areas, including qualified teachers and counselors, rigorous academic standards, small class sizes, adequate libraries and instructional materials.

Also testifying at the hearing were National Urban League President Hugh Price, Connecticut public school teacher Maryann Lang, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Judy Catchpole, and Congressman Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

Read Michael Rebell's full testimony

Prepared May 24, 2002