Subject: Demand Action on Education Spending and Outcomes: Rep. Liccardo, Let's "Get Things Done" Together.

 

 

 

 

To: Representative Sam Liccardo, U.S. House of Representatives, CA-16

We, the concerned constituents of California's 16th Congressional District, are writing in response to your March 24th email, "We need to talk about the Department of Education...". We appreciate and acknowledge your highlighting of the Administration's "shoot-first, aim-later approach" and your commitment to addressing the serious issues facing our education system.

Although your email newsletter highlights some important services the Department of Education is expected to deliver, your newsletter does not mention the troubling trends in U.S. education:

Disproportionate Spending, Diminishing Returns: The U.S. significantly outspends other developed nations on education, yet student achievement, as measured by international assessments like PISA, remains stagnant or declines. (Source: OECD’s Education at a Glance 2023)

Significant Growth in Federal Education Spending: The Department of Education's budget has substantially increased from $104.4 billion in FY19 to a proposed $268.4 billion in FY25. (Source: Department of Education)

Additionally, your newsletter does not itemize specific proposals for corrective action. We recall your campaign commitment to "work across the aisle to get things done" Let's "Get Things Done" Together to address the challenges facing our community and our nation.

To that end, we respectfully request that you provide concrete answers to the following questions, outlining how you intend to collaborate with colleagues from both parties to achieve meaningful progress:

Specific, Bipartisan Department of Education Reforms: Building upon your criticism of the Administration's approach, what specific changes, with potential for bipartisan support, do you propose to the Department of Education's programs, policies, and funding allocations? We seek actionable solutions that can garner broad consensus.

Detailed, Collaborative Alternatives: Your email did not itemize what specific actions should be taken. Please provide a detailed list of actions you envision working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to implement.

Measurable and Unifying Outcomes: How will your proposed changes translate into tangible improvements in student achievement, and what metrics, agreeable to a broad range of stakeholders, will you use to measure success?

Fiscally Responsible and Jointly Supported Measures: Given the dramatic increase in education spending, what specific measures, with bipartisan appeal, do you propose to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability within the Department of Education?

Empowering Localities Through Collaboration: What is your stance on the balance between federal and local control of education, and how will your proposals, developed through bipartisan discussion, empower school districts within CA-16?

Transparent and Inclusive Implementation: How will you ensure transparency in the implementation of your proposed reforms and create opportunities for meaningful public input, fostering a collaborative approach to education policy?

We, the residents of CA-16, are eager to see your commitment to "work across the aisle" put into action to address the critical challenges facing our education system. Your email has raised important questions; now, we seek your specific, collaborative answers and actionable plans to "get things done" for our students.

Sincerely,

Frank Holland