On a trip last week to the Gulf Coast, President Bush visited the Samuel J. Green charter school in New Orleans and praised the growth of the charter sector in the city.
“The storm came and it did terrible devastation, but it gave a great chance for renewal,” Mr. Bush said. “Charter schools to me say innovation, individuality.”
The president said the federal government has allocated $450 million for the New Orleans schools and urged that some of that money be used to recruit teachers.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, introduced legislation March 1 aimed at providing incentives for teachers and principals to work in New Orleans’ public schools, including charter schools. The bill would authorize about $250 million over the next five years to cover bonus pay, relocation expenses, student-loan forgiveness, housing subsidies, recruitment costs, and professional development.
The bill would also authorize up to $500 million for colleges hit by Hurricane Katrina. The money could be used to make up for lost tuition and revenue, pay faculty bonuses, and recruit students.
