WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has long pursued the goal of improving the academic performance of all students regardless of race, income, ethnicity, or disability; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii commends the President and the United States Congress for putting forth the same goals in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and emphasizing the urgency in improving the performance of all students; and

WHEREAS, the NCLB has encouraged necessary changes in public education and was initially accompanied with substantial increases in federal funding for public elementary and secondary education; and

WHEREAS, however, the increases in federal funding since the inaugural year of the NCLB have been minimal; and

WHEREAS, the federal government has decreased funding in fiscal year 2006 by:

now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that this body urges the President of the United States and the United States Congress to support improving the quality of the nation's public schools by substantially increasing funding for the No Child Left Behind Act, Higher Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other education-related programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Hawaii encourages other states to adopt similar resolutions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to President of the United States, President of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Secretary of the United States Department of Education, and each member of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Report Title:

No Child Left Behind; federal support