Cynthia McKinney on Education

Green Party nominee for President (Former Rep., D, GA-4)

Something wrong with $38B on education & $700B on defense

Pentagon spending is at around $700 billion, can you imagine? And K-12 education is at about $38 billion. There's something wrong with that. Obviously, we have to put money into education.

Having been born & raised in Georgia, we would always say, "Thank goodness for Alabama & Mississippi." Now children in other parts of the world are saying, "Thank goodness for the US." Our children must be equipped for competition with the rest of the world. We have to focus on education & lifelong learning

Source: 2008 Green Presidential Debate moderated by Cindy Sheehan Jan 13, 2008

No Child Left Behind aimed at dismantling public education

We need to focus on education, but not with "reforms" like No Child Left Behind that are basically aimed at dismantling public education. We need to instill pride and a desire to learn. We need free higher education for all. India's socialized economy provided free higher education. Now our jobs are being shipped to India. Source: Interview with "Reconstruction Renaissance" Jan 8, 2008

Our public schools are in a serious state disrepair

America's schools are, on average, 42 years old; while nearly 25,000 public schools, almost 1/3 of all public school buildings, are in a serious state of disrepair. As a result, more than 15 million students learn in facilities that have substandard heating, ventilation, plumbing, and roofing systems. It is clear that Republican priorities do not include education for our children. Federal tax cuts for the wealthy and funding for the war come at the expense of education and our children. Source: Campaign website, www.cynthiaforcongress.com, "Issues" Dec 20, 2007

No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate

In the years since President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, none of his budgets has come close to meeting the level of funding authorized in the Act. The cumulative Administration budgets have fallen billions of dollars short of the amount authorized for funding.

Important federal programs, such as Title I, which supports additional math and reading instruction in high-poverty schools and special education, are currently underfunded. The result is a lack of resources in schools and classrooms across the country.

The bipartisan National Governors Association even voted unanimously to label Bush's No Child Left Behind Act an unfunded mandate. States and localities struggle to keep up with the new requirements. Bush's own No Child Left Behind Act called for every teacher to have obtained a state certificate or license to teach by 2005. President Bush's budget plan fails to include any dedicated resources to address the $127 billion backlog in school repairs.

Source: Campaign website, www.cynthiaforcongress.com, "Issues" Dec 20, 2007

Voted YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges.

This vote is on a substitute bill (which means an amendment which replaces the entire text of the original bill). Voting YES means support for the key differences from the original bill: lowering student loan interest rates; $59 million for a new Predominantly Black Serving Institution program; $25 million for a new graduate Hispanic Serving Institution program; provide for year- round Pell grants; and repeal the Single Lender rule. The substitute's proponents say:

The original bill has some critical shortcomings. First and foremost, this substitute will cut the new Pell Grant fixed interest rate in half from 6.8% to 3.4%, to reduce college costs to those students most in need.

It would also establish a new predominantly black-serving institutions programs to boost college participation rates for low-income black students, and a new graduate Hispanic-serving institution program.

As we saw from 1995 to 2000, the questions employers were asking was not your race, not your ethnicity, not your religion, they wanted to know if you had the skills and talents to do the job. Most often today, those skills and that talent requires a higher education. A college education is going to have to become as common as a high school education.

I feel it is not totally the Federal Government's responsibility to provide for all of higher education. The substitute has three critical flaws.
1.The name itself, "Reverse the Raid on Student Aid." Don't believe the hype. Not one student in America will receive less financial aid under our bill. Not one.
2. This amendment does not retain the $6,000 maximum Pell Grant award that our legislation has. In fact, they stay with the same old $5,800 maximum award.
3. It says that we are going to have a 3.4% interest rate for 1 year that is going to cost $2.7 billion, but it has no offsets whatsoever. How do they pay for it? They don't tell us.

Reference: Reverse the Raid on Student Aid Act; Bill HR 609 Amendment 772 ; vote number 2006-080 on Mar 30, 2006

Voted YES on requiring states to test students.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Vote to pass a bill that would authorize $22.8 billion in education funding, a 29 percent increase from fiscal 2001. The bill would require states to test students to track progress. Reference: Bill sponsored by Boehner R-OH; Bill HR 1 ; vote number 2001-145 on May 23, 2001

Voted NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools.

Vote to create a non-profit corporation to administer federally-funded vouchers for low-income children in the District of Columbia. Reference: Amendment introduced by Armey, R-TX; Bill HR 4380 ; vote number 1998-411 on Aug 6, 1998

Voted NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools.

Vote to pass a bill to allow states to use certain federal funds designated for elementary and secondary education to provide scholarships, or vouchers, to low-income families to send their children to private schools, including religious schools. Reference: Bill sponsored by Riggs, R-CA; Bill HR 2746 ; vote number 1997-569 on Nov 4, 1997

Voted NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer.

Motion to add language to the "Goals 2000: Educate America Act" to give federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer. Bill HR 1804 ; vote number 1994-85 on Mar 23, 1994

Supported funding for teacher training & other initiatives.

McKinney adopted the Women's Caucus policy agenda:

HR455—Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999—A bill to provide grants to local education agencies to provide integrated classroom-related computer training for elementary and secondary school teachers. (Capps)
HR645—Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999—A bill to require states to incorporate technology requirements in teacher training content and performance standards. (Morella)
HR1307—After-School Children’s Education (ACE) Act—A bill to provide for grants, a national clearinghouse of information and a GAO report on the quality and availability of after school programs. (Castle)
HR1129—A bill to remove the 60 month limitation for taking a tax deduction of student loan interest. (Mink)
HR1456—A bill to improve the National Writing Project program. (Miller-CA)
HR637—Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999—A bill to make improvements and expand the gifted and talented program. (Gallegly)

School Construction Funding
Alternative Teacher Certification
School Violence
Support of Title I of ESEA
Gender Equity in Education
School Counselors

Source: Women's Caucus Agenda-106th Congress 99-WC7 on Jul 15, 1999

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Page last updated: Sep 16, 2008