Building a Strong, Competitive 21st Century Economy
States now face a $91 billion shortfall in education funding – putting hundreds of thousands of jobs and the promise of a good education in jeopardy. Economists and scientists agree that strategic, targeted investments in education are needed to create jobs, give America’s children the skills they need to compete globally – and to put our economy back on the road to recovery.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides the single largest investment in federal education spending ever to help build the world class education system our economy needs and our children deserve. The plan will:
Prevent teacher layoffs and restore state cuts to education - Creates a $79 billion state stabilization fund to help prevent education-related layoffs and restore harmful cuts to education funding, including $39 billion for local school districts and public colleges and universities.
- Includes $15 billion for bonus grants to states for making progress in key areas: placing excellent teachers in high-need schools, making common-sense improvements to assessments, and creating data systems that help schools track progress over time.
- States must also meet a maintenance-of-effort requirement to show they’re doing their part to fund education.
Strengthen education resources for students in need- Provides $13 billion for Title I grants for high poverty schools and
- Invests $13.6 billion in services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Make critical investments in early education for an additional 110,000 children- Provides $2.1 billion for Head Start, and Early Head Start, which provides comprehensive development services for low-income preschool children, infants and toddlers. This will expand early education opportunities for an additional 110,000 children.
- Studies have shown that Head Start is one of the best ways to improve child well-being, increase the educational achievement and future productivity of children, and reduce crime. Studies also show that $1 invested in early education yields from $1.25 to $17 in returns.
Support for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act…“We know that making the investment in our children’s education is crucial to ensure the future health of our economy and our country. We know that a high-quality education increases future earnings, strengthens civic bonds, and is essential to prepare a well-trained workforce for a global economy. The resources provided in this package will go a long way towards ensuring that the children we serve at Citizen Schools – and so many more children across our nation – have much needed educational opportunities.”
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Erin Schwartz, President and CEO, Citizen Schools
“We are very pleased that the proposed package includes the investments in education, health care, and other areas necessary to jump-start the economy, create jobs, and help struggling families and communities.”
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Dennis van Roekel, President, National Education Association
Building a Strong, Competitive 21st Century Economy
School buildings across the country are literally crumbling. Recent studies estimate that well over a hundred billion dollars is needed to bring schools into good condition, and that 75 percent of schools are in various stages of disrepair. Like other infrastructure projects, modernizing schools will create new, construction jobs while ensuring that students can learn and teachers can teach in safe, healthy, technologically up-to-date, and energy-efficient learning environments.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will put Americans back to work quickly while bringing our schools and colleges into the 21st century. The legislation will:
Create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in construction and other industries- Provide $14 billion to improve and repair public school facilities. Funds can be used to:
- Improve the teaching and learning climate,
- Replace light systems and security doors,
- Repair heating and ventilation systems,
- Bring facilities into compliance with fire, health, and safety codes,
- Make necessary modifications to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and
- Implement measures to eliminate exposure to mold, mildew and lead-based paint.
- Provide $6 billion for colleges and universities for similar repair, renovation and modernization needs.
Update schools with 21st century technology- Provide $1 billion for Enhancing Education Through Technology (EdTech) – a program which provides grants to schools to increase access to educational technology and further integrate technology into the classroom.
Green and modernize the nation’s classrooms- Ensure that at least 25 percent of funds will support projects that meet green standards, including projects such as installing green roofs, providing more accommodation for alternate transportation, and building renewable energy generation and heating systems.
- States may reserve up to 1 percent of their funding to develop a school facilities database and school energy efficiency quality plan.
- Make schools energy-efficient, creating jobs and saving taxpayers billions in energy costs.
Support for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act…“Green school renovations will help us address both of these pressing needs in an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable way, with positive effects that will be felt well into the future.”
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S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council
“The $14 billion investment in school modernization and renovation will allow districts one time capital to complete many of the projects they have ready to go to improve the learning environments for the students in their schools.”
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Mary Kusler, Assistant Director, American Association of School Administrators
In the past few weeks, the Committee has been hard at work pushing forward many key education measures.
Continued Access to Student Loans Act: Signed Into Law
On
May 7, the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 was
signed into law. This measure provides new protections to ensure that
families can continue to access the loans they need to pay for college.
Chairman Miller said: "Today we have taken another big step in the
right direction for students and families working hard to pay for
college in a very tough economy."
Protecting Our Children Comes First Act: Signed Into Law
On
June 3, the "Protecting Our Children Comes First Act" was signed into
law, reauthorizing and funding federal missing and exploited children
programs, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC). Chairman Miller and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy said in a
joint statement: "Nothing matters more than keeping our children out of
harm’s way, and this law is a fundamental part of our efforts to do
just that."
Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act: Passed by House
The
House passed the bipartisan Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs
for Teens Act of 2008 on June 25 by a vote of 318-103. The bill would
stop child abuse in teen residential programs attended by tens of
thousands of U.S. teenagers, including therapeutic boarding schools,
wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities.
Depending on the state where they are located, some of these programs
are regulated; some are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of
regulations, reports of child abuse at the programs have frequently
gone unchecked. The Government Accountability Office found thousands of
allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for
teens between 1994 and 2007. Tragically, in a number of cases, this
abuse and neglect led to the death of a child.
21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act: Passed by House
Public
school buildings around the country would receive much-needed
renovations and modernization under the 21st Century Green
High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, passed by the House on
June 4 by a vote of 250 to 164. The measure would provide funding to
states and school districts to help ensure that school facilities and
learning environments are safe, healthy, energy efficient,
environmentally friendly, and technologically up-to-date. The bill
would also provide additional support for Gulf Coast schools still
recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act: Passed by Committee
On
June 26, the Committee passed the Providing Resources Early for Kids
Act, by a vote of 31-11, to improve the quality of state pre-school
programs, which collectively serve more than 1 million young children.
Research increasingly demonstrates that the first years of children’s
lives have a much greater and more lasting impact on their future
growth and learning than was previously understood. H.R. 3289
establishes a federal-state partnership to expand high-quality early
childhood educational opportunities to more children. It provides
incentives to states to ensure that their pre-k programs meet
children’s developmental and educational needs.
No Child Left Inside Act: Passed by Committee
On
June 18, the Committee passed the No Child Left Inside Act by a vote of
37-8. This measure would improve environmental education for
schoolchildren both inside and outside of the classroom.
Education Begins at Home Act: Passed by Committee
Also
on June 18, the Committee passed the Education Begins at Home Act, a
bill to provide critical support services to families, reduce child
abuse, and help more children arrive at school ready to succeed by
expanding access to early childhood home visitation programs for
parents and children.
