Washington D.C., Mar 1, 2005 / 22:00 pm
President George Bush and the Secretary of Education have encouraged Catholic schools and their leaders to consider being providers of supplemental educational services under the No Child Left Behind Act.
The U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, made this remark at the Congressional Advocacy Days conference of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Feb. 28. This statement is the first of its kind in terms of state-religious co-operation in the United States.
"Thousands of students in your communities could benefit from the knowledge and skills of your teachers,” Spellings told conference attendees. “And you can do it in a program that protects your religious freedom because the Department has issued a faith-based regulation with strong language to protect religious organizations providing supplemental services."
Spellings praised the contribution Catholic schools have made to educating students across the nation. She is the first U.S. Secretary of Education to have a child currently attending a Catholic school.