U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn

Issues

Education Reform

BLACKBURN ON EDUCTATION REFORM

No Child Left Behind Reauthorization

Representative Blackburn is supporting an alternative to the No Child Left Behind Reauthorization entitled the A-PLUS Act (H.R. 1539). A-PLUS provides the State and their local communities with maximum freedom and flexibility to determine how to improve academic achievement and implement education reforms. The bill frees the State from the federal requirements often tied to federal education funding and allows it to implement innovative initiatives developed to meet the unique needs of its particular students.

A-PLUS reduces the regulatory burdens associated with federal financial support of education programs so that local educators and administrators can focus on educating rather than filling out paperwork and complying with federal bureaucratic mandates.

A-PLUS ensures that States are accountable to parents, schools and the public for advancing the academic achievement of all students, especially disadvantaged children, but does so through local accountability plans rather than uniform federal mandates.

Head Start

On May 2, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Improving Head Start Act of 2007 (H.R. 1427). Representative Blackburn voted for this bi-partisan piece of legislation to strengthen the Head Start program. Head Start is a national program that promotes school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children through the provision of educational, health, nutritional, social and other services to enrolled children and families

However, Representative Blackburn was disappointed the Republican motion to recommit failed that would have allowed faith-based organizations that receive Head Start funding to be able to hire individuals based upon religious affiliation or belief failed.