Letter to the House on the GAO Report on Duplicative Federal Programs
April 12, 2011
As the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies prepares to hear testimony on fragmentation and overlap of federal education programs, on behalf of the 3.2 million members of the National Education Association we urge you to analyze thoroughly the potential impact of any proposed adjustments in training or support programs for educators.
The 34 areas covered in the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s March 2011 report, Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue, include teacher quality. The relatively large number of programs in this area is testament to the essential role teachers play in education at all levels from pre-K to post-graduate. It also reflects the breadth of skills necessary to meet the needs of today’s diverse student population and the myriad aspects of the teaching profession itself. Accordingly, these programs run the gamut from preparation of future teachers to induction and mentoring of new teachers to targeted professional development and support for practicing teachers. GAO acknowledges that it is difficult to detect “unnecessary” duplication among such a broad spectrum of programs.
As reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) proceeds, we look forward to finding ways to enhance the dividends from the federal investment in these vital programs. We urge you to afford teachers the opportunity to speak for themselves—to testify, based on their own firsthand experience, what does and does work, what is and is not needed. We look forward to working with you to determine how best to ensure that all federal education programs are based on sound research and data, thereby furthering our shared goal: equipping all students in America to succeed in school and in life.
Director of Government Relations
Manager of Federal Advocacy