The Bush Agenda
President Bush has won a second term in the White House in a hard-fought race with Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. Below is a selection of key stories from our archives on Mr. Bush鈥檚 record and initiatives in education policy.
Federal
Plan to Zero Out U.S. Technology Grants Draws Fire
A $272 million program to help states and school districts use technology for education would be axed under President Bush鈥檚 fiscal 2007 budget, partly because the White House says it lacks rigorous data on its effectiveness.
Federal
鈥楢djunct Teachers鈥� Could Do End Run Around NCLB Act
A White House proposal to bring math, science, and engineering professionals into public high schools to teach those subjects could bypass the 鈥渉ighly qualified鈥� teacher mandate under the No Child Left Behind Act, while only temporarily easing the shortfall of mathematics and science teachers, education observers say.
Federal
Drug-Free-Schools Grants Targeted by Bush
For the second year in a row, President Bush has proposed to eliminate funding for the Safe and Drug Free Schools program, which funnels money to nearly every school district in the country. The program, which has a budget of $345.5 million in fiscal 2006, is one of 42 Department of Education programs, totaling $3.5 billion, the president has proposed zeroing out in his 2007 budget.
Federal
Latest Bush Voucher Plan Faces Skepticism
A $100 million private-school-voucher plan proposed by President Bush would have to leap several hurdles to become reality, but its supporters hope that recent political advances for their cause and a link to the No Child Left Behind Act will help it avoid defeat this time around.
Federal
Proposed Grants for Improvement Highlight Key New Role for States
President Bush鈥檚 proposed budget for the coming fiscal year includes a first: school improvement grants to help state education departments turn around schools and districts identified as needing improvement under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Mathematics
White House Suggests Model Used in Reading To Elevate Math Skills
The Bush administration is trying to take a more aggressive role in strengthening math education, using its sweeping, and sometimes controversial, endeavors in reading as a guide.
Federal
Bush Has Own View of Promoting Civil Rights
As President Bush debated Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, his Democratic opponent for the White House, in their final campaign face-off last week, he told the audience, "Reading is the new civil right."
Federal
Bush Takes On Critics of No Child Left Behind Act
President Bush issued a pointed rebuttal last week to critics of the No Child Left Behind Act, rejecting arguments that the law heaps unrealistic demands on schools and vowing to oppose any efforts to weaken it.
President Bush issued a pointed rebuttal last week to critics of the No Child Left Behind Act, rejecting arguments that the law heaps unrealistic demands on schools and vowing to oppose any efforts to weaken it.
Federal
Chiefs Sense a New Attitude In Meeting With Bush
The chief school officers of 35 states are predicting their relationship with President Bush鈥檚 administration will improve after a two-hour White House meeting with the president and his top domestic-policy aides last week.
Federal
Education Gains in Bush Budget Proposal
The Department of Education budget request announced by President Bush last week is surely the envy of most members of his Cabinet, even while critics lambasted it as inadequate to meet the nation's educational needs. Includes a table, "Bush Budget on Education," and an accompanying story, "Budget Plans for Other Agencies Would Affect Children and Schools."
Federal
Bush Outlines Plans To Help Older Students
President Bush homed in on the needs of older students, in his State of the Union Address last week, as he rolled out a set of proposals he says would help struggling students and produce a more highly skilled workforce. Includes highlights from his speech, "Bush on Education."
School Choice & Charters
President Lauds Catholic Schools; Renews Support for Voucher Plan
President Bush voices strong support for Catholic schools, claiming that they "have proven record of bringing out the best in every child, regardless of their background." His praise for Catholic educators was also aimed in part at attracting Catholic voters in the year's presidential election, political analysts said.
Federal
Bush Marks School Law's 2nd Anniversary
President Bush celebrated the second anniversary of one of his signature domestic achievements last week, as he trumpeted two schools he believes have begun to live up to the promise of the No Child Left Behind Act.
Assessment
Administration Addresses Concerns About Head Start Testing Plan
At a national Head Start meeting last week, Bush administration officials attempted to reassure hundreds of program leaders that a new accountability system would not harm their schools.