Reading First FY08 Cuts (2/8/2008)

On January 29th, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings sent a letter out to all the State Superintendents detailing the impact of the near 61% fiscal year 2008 reduction to Reading First. The letter lamented the loss of the funding, and recommended alternative funding sources that local educational agencies (LEAs) could use; consistent with statutory requirements, to improve literacy instruction in grades K-3. Any questions regarding the letter should be sent to Reading First Director Joe Conaty, who has been heading the office since October of 2006.

What will become of Reading First in fiscal year 2009 (FY09)? President Bush requested Congress to restore the funding to $1 billion, back to fiscal year 2007 levels; but one year ago, appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) promised not to replace the spending cuts until the U.S. Department of Education (ED) answered for the program’s mismanagement. Whether ED has done so to the satisfaction of Obey is not known, but there is considerable support for the program among the state chiefs and education advocacy organizations in Washington. They are asking Congressional appropriators to support the restoration of the program in FY09, but the outcome is far from clear.

This is, after all, President Bush’s program and Chairman Obey is still not on good terms with the President due to a series of political standoffs last year and his recent Executive Order trying to reduce or eliminate earmarks, the protected prerogative of appropriators in Congress. Appropriation hearings begin later this month. At that time, the prognosis for Reading First will become clearer.

Author: DAD

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Reading First Politics

Last week, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. It appropriates $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. The Reading First program, however, was cut to $400 million, down $629 million from the previous fiscal year. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) promised not to replace the spending cuts until the U.S. Department of Education (ED) answers for mismanagement of the program.

Last week, the House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee marked up their fiscal year 2008 (FY08) spending bill. The bill provides $152 billion for Labor-HHS-Education, exceeding the President’s proposal by $20 billion. It appropriates $61.7 billion for education, $5.9 billion more than the White House requested. The Reading First program, however, was cut to $400 million, down $629 million from the previous fiscal year. Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) promised not to replace the spending cuts until the U.S. Department of Education (ED) answers for mismanagement of the program.
This week, Secretary Spellings sent a letter to Chairman Obey reminding him that the states are the victims of the cut. Spellings pointed out that Wisconsin would lose more than $8.5 million in grants for Reading First, grants that have proven to be very successful in his home state. Chairman Obey has not formally responded, but staffers insist that ED has to demonstrate better management of the program.
The appropriations process, of course, still has a long way to go. The Full Committee on Appropriations has yet to markup the bill and the Senate will begin their appropriations process soon after the House completes its work on the bill. This grants a lot of time for political statements, which is what many believe the House subcommittee funding cut represents.
Resources:
Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, http://appropriations.house.gov/Subcommittees/sub_lhhse.shtml
Author: DAD

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