Education
Living up to the Promises of No Child Left Behind

Contribute to Help Peter Fight for Public Education

Public education will always be among the most important issues facing our country because our success in educating our children determines our future as a nation.

Like all Floridians, I’m committed to seeing our state’s public education system succeed. The federal government has an important role to play in leveling the playing field so that all children, regardless of their economic status or disadvantages beyond their control, can get the education they need to succeed. This was the promise of the president’s much-celebrated “No Child Left Behind Act.” Unfortunately, the commitment hasn’t matched the promise. In the Senate, I’ll fight to see that it does.

As a congressman, I have called repeatedly on the president and Republicans in Congress to make good on the commitments in No Child Left Behind - promises to parents and students that a better quality education and more accountability were in the offering. But over the past two years, they have under-funded No Child Left Behind by $7.8 billion, leaving the promise of a quality education for every child in Florida and America an empty one.

The President’s 2004 “No Child Left Behind” funding proposal will hurt our state:

• $304.4 million less for aid to poor school districts in Florida through the Title I program.
• $33.6 million less for “Impact Aid” to Florida school districts with high percentages of military families.
• $16.9 million less for training and hiring Florida teachers.
• $15.9 million less for educational technology in Florida.
• $9.9 million less for innovative programs to improve student achievement in Florida.
• $2.4 million less for rural education in Florida.
• $11.3 million less for the Safe and Drug Free Schools program in Florida.
• $6 million less for bilingual education in Florida.

As your Senator, I’ll continue to fight for all the funding necessary to make the promises of No Child Left Behind a reality. I’ll oppose cutbacks proposed by the administration in technology training and much needed after-school programs.

And I’ll oppose the use of education vouchers that drain money away from our public schools at a time when they most need it.

In the Senate, I will continue my support of public school choice programs, public charter and public magnet schools that provide parents and students with important educational options - these and other innovative reforms, combined with high standards of accountability for all public schools and teachers, will help improve America's public education system. And I’ll continue my advocacy of an expanded and improved federal role in making higher education more accessible, especially to students from low-income families.

I believe that our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. As your Senator, I’ll be a strong voice for making good on our promises and making sure we truly leave no child behind.