Revisions and updates have been made to the text. Today, the congressional inquiry into the federal Reading First program continued, with U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings expressing her "deep concern" about new revelations regarding the financial ties between federal consultants and commercial publishers. She vowed to investigate allegations of mismanagement and bias within the program. When asked if she would seek the resignation of Edward J. Kame’enui, a high-level official at the Department of Education and one of the former consultants under review, Spellings responded with uncertainty.
After appearing before the House Education and Labor Committee, Secretary Spellings sent a letter on May 11 to George Miller, a Democratic representative from California, and other education leaders in the House and Senate, urging them to not let the investigation impede the committee’s work on reauthorization of the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act. Rep. George Miller stated that Kame’enui should resign due to his less-than-candid testimony on April 20, as well as the conflicts of interest surrounding him. Miller emphasized that the department should not employ individuals who have acted against its best interests.
During the hearing, Republicans praised Secretary Spellings for implementing administrative changes to the Reading First program, as recommended by the department’s inspector general in their report last fall. Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, the senior GOP member of the panel, stated that there was a consensus that Reading First was a successful and valuable program. He stressed the need to amend the law to prevent future instances of mismanagement.
Rep. Miller heavily criticized the Education Department’s handling of the reading initiative, as well as the federal student-loan program, which was the main focus of questioning towards Secretary Spellings. Miller argued that there had been significant oversight failures within the department in both programs. The $1 billion-a-year Reading First initiative, aimed at improving reading instruction in low-performing schools, has faced increasing scrutiny following federal reports suggesting that officials and consultants demonstrated favoritism towards certain commercial reading programs. There were also concerns about potential influence on state and local decisions regarding curriculum.
The Senate education committee released preliminary findings from its own investigation, outlining the financial benefits received by some Reading First officials and consultants after their products were adopted by participating schools. The report indicated that while Mr. Kame’enui managed a federal technical-assistance center for Reading First, he actively promoted a textbook he authored, which is now widely used in participating schools. Reading First, authorized under the No Child Left Behind Act, has faced criticism from publishers and state education officials since its introduction in 2002, with allegations that the Education Department endorsed specific reading products despite legal restrictions.
In response to questions from the education committee members, Secretary Spellings stated that she had implemented the recommendations of the inspector general and was working to strengthen the department’s conflict-of-interest guidelines. This hearing was the second conducted by the House education panel to address Reading First. On April 20, former and current federal officials and consultants were questioned about their involvement in the grant approval and implementation process. The Senate education committee also plans to hold a hearing, but no date has been set.
Additionally, Rep. Miller scrutinized Secretary Spellings on the Education Department’s lack of action regarding predatory and unethical practices within the student-loan industry. The congressman argued that the alleged abuse of loan inducements offered by lenders to colleges required stronger oversight laws. Secretary Spellings deflected some of the blame, emphasizing the need for Congress to act before the department could take action against lenders suspected of exploiting the system. She stated that the department needed a solid legal case to pursue such actions.
Limited Testimony on Reading First
During the hearing, there was a limited discussion on Reading First, which left some individuals disappointed, especially those who have closely observed the program’s mistakes. Jady Johnson, the executive director of the Reading Recovery Council of North America, expressed her hope for more detailed information on the Department’s plan to address the increasing evidence that certain contractors personally benefited from their involvement with the program. There were also expectations for the committee to inquire about the role of Ms. Spellings. Some former officials from the Education Department have suggested that she played a significant role in the early stages of implementing Reading First, while she served as a domestic policy adviser at the White House during President Bush’s first term. In a series of reports released from September to February, the Education Department’s inspector general discovered evidence indicating that federal officials and consultants may have demonstrated favoritism towards specific commercial programs and assessments, potentially directing states and districts to use particular curricula and professional-development providers, despite legal restrictions. These reports, which criticized the program’s oversight, particularly highlighted the absence of controls to prevent conflicts of interest.
