Posted on 10/06/2004 6:15:09 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Tauzin advocates more local control of education dollars
By PATRICK COURREGES pcourreges@theadvocate.com Acadiana bureau
Billy Tauzin III, candidate for Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District, said Tuesday he wants to reverse the spending priorities of federal school accountability requirements and push for more local control of federal education dollars.
Tauzin, a Thibodaux Republican and regional manager for BellSouth, is one of six candidates in the race to replace his father, U.S. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, who is retiring.
The other five candidates are fellow Republicans Kevin Chiasson, a former doctor from the Thibodaux area; state Sen. Craig Romero of New Iberia; and Democrats state Rep. Damon Baldone of Houma; Charmaine Caccioppi of Raceland, a senior staffer for former U.S. Sen. J. Bennett Johnston; and Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville, former president of the American Sugar Cane League.
Tauzin said the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, aimed at improving school performance and student education nationally, have not been fully funded, and though the state has seen more education dollars from the federal government, it's still an unfunded federal mandate.
In a news release earlier this week, the National Republican Congressional Committee blasted Democratic candidate Melancon for making statements in a similar vein -- that the federal government is not fully funding the No Child Left Behind requirements.
Tauzin said he understands why the money isn't available for backing the accountability requirements in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, the war in Iraq and the broader war against terrorism.
"That's hard to look at in a vacuum," he said.
Tauzin said that much of the money that is available is being misspent, going to administrative costs and bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., instead of classrooms.
"Washington is taking its slice of the budget first," he said. "Every dollar spent in the classroom is worth thousands in Washington."
He said that all money dedicated to the federal accountability requirements should go to school systems first, then whatever's leftover can go to federal administration.
Government agencies always manage to make do on administrative costs, no matter what Congress budgets, Tauzin said.
He said that if shrinking the federal administration portion of the budget for No Child Left Behind means more local control of how money is spent, that's fine with him.
Tauzin said he also wants to work to bring local voices, specifically those of parents, more into the process of deciding curriculums and requirements for public schools.
He said he wants schools and school systems to meet more with parents to obtain feedback on what parents want their children to be learning.
Tauzin said his role on that end would mainly be as vocal supporter of the effort, but that, as a congressman, he could work to make sure parents' suggestions are taken seriously and incorporated into curriculum planning.
He said he also wants to work to increase federal funding of technology in schools and classrooms and to get experts in various industries to work more closely with schools to figure out what skills employers need their future workers to be taught.
Robert D.S. Novak in his "Evans-Novak Political Report" says that Tauzin should win his father's seat, if not on Nov. 2, then in a Dec. 4 Louisiana "general election runoff."
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