Date: 2003-04-30
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman. this amendment is a very bad idea. This law was built up about guaranteeing to these children and to their families that they would have certain rights that would provide them an access to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. And over the years we have built up a system of accountability to make sure that that education was. in fact. provided to these children. Now we come along with this voucher amendment where immediately upon the exchange of money from the school district to the private school. or from the parent to the private school. those rights are eviscerated. Because this bill deems upon acceptance of the voucher that these children are getting a free and appropriate education. We do not know whether they will or not. If the children decide they are not and they come back to the public school system. does the school system get to bring some of the money back? Is the money stuck over there? Does the school system now have to pony up additional money to educate that child? I think the answer is yes. they do because they have an obligation. The fact of the matter is these schools. they do not have to accept the clild if the disability is too expensive. They do not have to accept the child. They get to pick and choose among the children. The public schools have to take the children as they come to give them a free and appropriate education. These schools do not have to be certified. They do not have to be qualified. They do not have to be State licensed. What happens to the money? You just get to take this money. the taxpayers money and not have these accountabilities. I can understand the desire. and. in fact. the law provides for parents who think their cbildren can get a better education at a private school with special skills or special talents or a record of handling these children in the appropriate way. They can petition to go to these schools. In 1997. we had so many people leaving the system that we said you cannot do that because you are sticking the school district for so much money. And there was no process. there was no determination whether or not this was a suitable placement. Now you can just opt out. If the parent is lucky and if the child is lucky and it works. fine. If it does not. the school district is out the money. the child is out the education. and we are back in the stew. This is just an unacceptable amendment. Nobody is required to make adequate yearly progress with these children under Leave No Child Behind. There is no accountability under that. There is for the school. There is no accountability in this legislation. There is no accountability under. in many instances. State law. So I do not understand. The President. the Congress decided that we are going to build a system of accountability. and- now. still. simply. you can opt out of that. If students need supplemental services. your legislation provides for supplemental services without limit to provide for that child that is hearing impaired. that is sight impaired. where they can get additional services. I assume that is the purpose of the supplemental services. But this voucher goes far beyond that. This voucher simply gives some level of scholarship to the parents to take. But that does not mean the parents will get into that school. They may settle for a school that does not quite provide those services. It turns out that does not work. and they are back in the public school system. Meanwhile. the public school system trying to hold on to a critical mass of people skilled to deal with the education of children with disabilities. finds out that the cost per service per child goes up. Again. as we have seen in the McKay program. about 25 percent of these people go out into those things. They get their scholarships. They go to schools. and they are coming back. We do not know quite why yet they are coming back. but obviously as they come back to the public school system. they are more expensive than when they left. There ought to be some screen to know that this. in fact. is going to enhance the childrens education. We understand and deal with. all the time. parents who want another location for the child. That is not this system. This is just a wide open voucher system without any accountability. It ought to be rejected by the House.