Commentary: President Barack Obama today released the final budget of his administration for fiscal year 2017. The president’s budget is the first since the congressional passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). NEA President Lily Eskelsen García issued the following statement.
“President Barack Obama’s budget rightly shines a spotlight on education and students for the eighth year in a row. Educators appreciate and welcome the additional investments in public education.
“However, we are concerned that the budget doesn’t go far enough with investments to create more opportunity for all students, regardless of their ZIP code, especially as we shift our attention towards the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act. We believe that essentially flat-funding the main programs aimed at helping the students most in need will undermine the promise of ESSA to provide opportunity for all students.
“And while we appreciate the notable increase proposed for the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education to help enforce civil rights laws and opportunity for all students, we believe a greater investment on the front end for Title I in particular must be part of that effort. Likewise, it is a disappointment that the budget proposes no increase for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) core grants.
“The stakes continue to remain high for students and working families. We hope that the bipartisanship displayed at times last year in Congress will lead to greater future collaboration and investment. By working in a bipartisan manner, Congress and the president can take a step towards ensuring the success of every student in America.”