Education

Witnesses to be announced.

Below are estimates of the amount of funding that each state and school district would receive to modernize, upgrade and repair school facilities under the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, if it were to be enacted.  These are estimates only based on available and current data and may not reflect exact allocations that states or school districts receive when these funds are actually allocated. 

Preliminary estimates from the Congressional Research Service (as calculated on May 5, 2009):

Click here to download state-level data (PDF, 10KB) »
Click here to download school district-level data (PDF, 676KB) »

On Thursday, May 14, the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, will hold a hearing to examine how improvements to child nutrition programs can help fight the nation’s childhood obesity crisis.

Child nutrition experts across the board agree that childhood obesity poses the greatest threats to the nation’s physical and financial health. Today, one-third of U.S. children and adolescents, about 25 million, are obese or overweight. Child nutrition programs provide children with access to low-cost, nutritious food to support healthy growth and development. 

The House is scheduled to vote this week on the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act.  The bill would make critical investments to provide more students with modern, healthier, more environmentally-friendly classrooms. It would also support hundreds of thousands of new construction jobs and invest more than half a billion dollars for school facility improvements in the Gulf Coast, where many schools still face considerable damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

On Tuesday, May 12, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how policies for addressing the high school dropout crisis and improving graduation rates can strengthen America’s economic competitiveness.

Nationally, only 70 percent of students graduate from high school with a regular high school diploma. Approximately 10 percent of high schools in this country produce close to half of these dropouts. In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama called on lawmakers to address the dropout crisis.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after President Obama released his complete budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2010.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Protecting health care workers, first responders, and other employees on the frontlines of a pandemic outbreak is key to strengthening the nation’s ability to fight viral outbreaks and keep the public safe, experts told the House Education and Labor Committee today.

The witnesses were testifying before the committee at a hearing examining how the current H1N1 flu outbreak has challenged schools, childcare centers, colleges, and workplaces.

On Thursday, May 7, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine how federal agencies can help child care, schools, colleges and workplaces prepare for the H1N1 flu virus and future pandemics. The hearing will also provide an update on how schools and workplaces are being affected by and responding to the current outbreak.

On Thursday, May 7, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how federal agencies can help child care, schools, colleges and workplaces prepare for the H1N1 flu virus and future pandemics. The hearing will also provide an update on how schools and workplaces are being affected by and responding to the current outbreak.

WHAT:         
Hearing on “Ensuring Preparedness Against the Flu Virus at School and Work"

WHO:            
Jordan Barab, Acting Assistant Secretary, Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, Washington, DC
Ann Brockhaus, Occupational Safety and Health Consultant, ORC Worldwide, Washington, DC
Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, California Department of Education, Sacramento, CA  
Miguel Garcia, Registered Nurse and member, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Los Angeles, CA
Bill Modzeleski, Associate Assistant Deputy Secretary, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Department of Education, Washington, DC
Dr. Anne Schuchat, Deputy Director for Science and Program (Interim), Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA

WHEN:         
Thursday, May 7, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, May 6, the Committee will consider legislation that will provide the nation’s public schools with billions of dollars in funding for much-needed repair, renovation and modernization projects, while breathing new life into local economies.  

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act could create as many as 136,000 new construction jobs nationwide, according to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute, while boosting student achievement by creating healthier, safer, and energy-efficient learning environments. Studies show there is a correlation between facility quality and student achievement. The legislation also would provide significant aid for Gulf Coast Schools still recovering from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

WHAT:         
Full Committee Mark-Up of H.R. 2187 “21st Century Green High-Performing Public School”

WHEN:         
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Improving Education, Creating Jobs, Fighting Global Warming

School buildings should be safe and healthy learning environments for children. But according to recent estimates, America’s schools are hundreds of billions of dollars short of the funding needed to bring them up to good condition. Research shows a correlation between school facility quality and student achievement. Modernizing school buildings would help revive our economy by creating jobs and preparing workers for the clean energy jobs of the future. And by upgrading school buildings to make them more energy efficient and more reliant on renewable sources of energy, modernized school buildings can also help reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming. Congress already has endorsed these principles by making green school modernization, renovation and repair part an allowable use of funds under the state fiscal stabilization fund in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Click here to download estimates of the amount of funding that each state and school district would receive under H.R. 2187 if it were to be enacted »

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act (H.R. 2187) would:

Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness will hold a hearing to examine best practices for improving adult education and family literacy. This is the fourth hearing the committee is holding as it works toward reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act, which provides job training, education programs, vocational rehabilitation and other services to Americans.

WHAT:         
Hearing on “"New Innovations and Best Practices under the Workforce Investment Act"
 
WHO:            
David Beré, president and chief strategy officer, Dollar General Corporation, Goodlettsville, TN
Kathy Cooper , policy associate, Office of Adult Basic Education, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, Olympia, WA
Martin Finsterbusch, executive director, VALUE, Inc.  (Voice of Adult Learners United to Educate), Media, PA
Donna Kinerney, Ph.D., instructional dean, Adult ESOL & Literacy Programs, Montgomery College, Wheaton, MD
Roberta Lanterman, program director, Long Beach Family Literacy, Long Beach, CA
Stephen Reder, Ph.D., university professor and chair, Department of Applied Linguistics, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Gretchen Wilson, Grammy winning recording artist and GED graduate, Nashville, TN

WHEN:         
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 

Below is information for workers, families, schools and employers about how to protect our communities by reducing the spread of the H1N1 flu virus.

What is the H1N1 Flu?

General information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the H1N1 flu (commonly mis-referred to as "swine flu"), including what the H1N1 flu is, how it spreads and how to take care of people sick with it »

School Preparedness

Checklists and other tools to help schools, child care providers, colleges and universities to delay or reduce the spread of the flu virus »

Workplace Preparedness

Checklists and other guidance for businesses and employers to protect employees' health and safety while limiting negative impacts to the economy and society »

More information from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration »

Family Preparedness

Advice and strategies to delay or reduce the spread of the flu virus »

Your Rights in the Workplace

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools, and companies with 50 or more employees to provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for reasons, including caring for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition, and taking medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

More about FMLA »

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. George Miller (D-CA) made the following statement today regarding the temporary closure of Highlands Elementary School in Pittsburg, CA.

“I know many of us are worried about the impact of the H1N1 flu on our families and our community, especially our school community.  Obviously, our first concern is that we keep our children and our families as safe as possible.  But we also need to deal with this in a timely manner so we can get kids back into the classroom.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House voted to approve final passage of the conference report for the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010, which help will turn the economy around by investing in strategies for long-term growth – education, health care, and energy and cutting the deficit by two-thirds by 2013. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage tonight.

U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, hailed the budget as a roadmap for rebuilding the nation’s middle class and paving the way for long-term economic growth.

In just 100 days, President Obama and the 111th Congress have already made progress on behalf of America’s students, workers and families. Whether it’s restoring protections for workers or making good on his promises to invest in education, President Obama’s first 100 days delivered on the change Americans have been seeking and show that the President and this Congress are committed to make Washington work for families.

Key measures, many of which the Education and Labor Committee helped enact, have already started improving the quality of life for working families, including:

On Wednesday, April 29, the Committee will hold a hearing to examine how states can better prepare their students to compete in a global economy by using internationally benchmarked common standards.

WHAT:         
Full Committee Hearing on “Strengthening America’s Competitiveness through Common Academic Standards”

WHO:            
The Honorable James B. Hunt, Jr., Former Governor of North Carolina and Foundation Chair, James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, Durham, North Carolina
Ken James, Commissioner of Education, Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock, Arkansas
Greg Jones, Chair, California Business for Excellence in Education (CBEE), Sacramento, California
Dave Levin, Co-Founder, KIPP: Knowledge Is Power Program, New York, New York
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, New York, New York
            
WHEN:          
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
10:00 a.m. EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Dale Kildee, Education and Labor Committee Member and Chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.)

Today is the 40th celebration of Earth Day – a day of action and of giving back to our planet.  Events are taking place in communities across the nation, in schools and on college campuses.   Through acts as simple as changing a light bulb or planting a tree, and as complex as committing themselves to “going green” in all aspects of their lives, people throughout our country are making a big difference.  Congress has also made a commitment to do its part by helping to make our schools part of the green solution.

School buildings should be safe, healthy and modern learning environments for children and teachers.  By helping school districts to make schools environmentally friendly, or “green,” we can create facilities that have tremendous health, educational, financial and environmental benefits. 

Chairman Miller will be discussing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act on ABC News' Top Line program today at noon, Eastern time.  Click here to watch the program live online.

Yesterday, The New York Times' City Room blog reported on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's announcement of a series of programs and partnerships to encourage volunteerism among city residents.

Today, President Obama is scheduled to sign the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law.  This week is also National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).

The idea is to capitalize on the local history of activism and volunteerism and channel New Yorkers’ goodwill into worthy causes that could make a palpable difference in these difficult economic times. One of the initiatives, for example, will create the NYC Civic Corps, which will shepherd volunteers into public agencies and nonprofit groups. Others will expand the city’s auxiliary police force and Block Watch programs, as well as offer legal service and financial counseling to families who are facing foreclosure or otherwise need help managing their debt.

Read the rest of The New York Times blog post here. 

The Associated Press and The Washington Post also reported on Mayor Bloomberg's service program.

Today, Chairman George Miller and Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee Chair Carolyn McCarthy, the lead House authors of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, will join President Barack Obama as he signs the legislation into law. The legislation, his first major bipartisan initiative to get enacted, will launch a new era of American service that creates opportunities for citizens of all ages to play a part in our nation’s recovery. First Lady Michele Obama, Former President Bill Clinton, and Former First Lady Rosalyn Carter are also expected to attend today’s signing, which comes during National Volunteer Week (April 19-25).

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act grows the number of volunteers nationwide to 250,000 – more than triple the current 75,000. These new service opportunities will include the expansion of existing service programs, like AmeriCorps, as well as four new service corps focused on education, health care, energy and veterans. All service programs established under the bill will be overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced that California will be the first state in the country to receive state fiscal stabilization funds provided under President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The relief, which will help stave off teacher layoffs and other cuts to education, comes as tens of thousands of teachers in California are at risk of losing their jobs.  

In today's News of the Day, the San Francisco Chronicle has an editorial about the importance for reform in the student loan industry. They say "one of the most sensible proposals in President Obama's budget would end federal subsidies for private lenders in favor of direct government loans."  And they take on several of the complaints about President Obama's proposal. For instance,

This proposal would not threaten private lenders' ability to make private loans to college students at unregulated (and often highly profitable) interest rates. It would simply allow the federal government to keep the profits from loans it already subsidizes, instead of handing them over to banks. It would improve efficiency and save money, and it should have been passed a long time ago.

And there is more at the San Francisco Chronicle and we encourage you to read the entire editorial.

To learn more about where Chairman Miller stands on this proposal, see his statement on President Obama's budget.

In today's New York Times, the editorial board declared, "The direct-lending proposal is clearly in the country’s best interest."

Private companies that reap undeserved profits from the federal student-loan program are gearing up to kill a White House plan that would get them off the dole and redirect the savings to federal scholarships for the needy. Instead of knuckling under to the powerful lending lobby, as it has so often done in the past, Congress needs to finally put the taxpayers’ interests first. That means embracing President Obama’s plan.

This builds upon Rep. Miller and the Education and Labor Committee's efforts in the 110th Congress.

We encourage you to read the entire editorial. And these from the Syracuse Post-Standard and the Albany Times Union.

In the first installment of our Meet the Freshmen series, Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada shares with us why she wanted to be on the committee, what she hopes to achieve and what she has learned so far.

Today, Chairman Miller and Senator Richard Durbin visited the Shaw-Garnett Patterson middle school in Washington, DC with DC Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.  Principal Brian Betts and students gave them a tour of several classrooms, including math and literacy, and then the lawmakers had the opportunity to sit down with a group 8th grade students.  Following that meeting, Miller and Durbin also met with a group of teachers from the school.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today applauded the House for passing the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010, which makes investments in education a key priority.  The House approved the budget by a vote of 233 to 196.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Emergency relief funding provided under President Obama’s economic recovery plan will be released to school districts across the country today. The U.S. Department of Education announced that they will release the first installment of funds that will help schools save teaching jobs and maintain education programs for low-income students and students with disabilities. School districts will receive the second installment of the funds, provided under Title I and IDEA formulas, this fall. 

Emergency relief funding provided under President Obama’s economic recovery plan was released across the country on April 1, 2009. This first installment of funds will help schools save teaching jobs and maintain education programs for low-income students and students with disabilities. School districts will receive the second installment of the funds, provided under Title I and IDEA formulas, this fall.

In addition to the Title I and IDEA investments, the economic recovery plan also created a $54 billion State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to help stabilize state and local budgets and restore harmful cuts to education.  The Obama administration also issued guidelines to clarify how the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund can be used by local districts and colleges. States can apply for this funding beginning on April 1, 2009. More »

Department of Education Guidance:

(April 1, 2009) Guidance on the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund »
(April 1, 2009) Guidance on Title I, Part A »
(April 1, 2009) Guidance on IDEA, Part B »
(April 1, 2009) Guidance on IDEA, Part C »

(For Department of Education guidance on all Recovery Act funds, click here.)

On March 31, the House is expected to vote on final passage of H.R. 1388, a national service bill now known as the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.  The bill was previously passed in the House as the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act.  The House will be voting on amendments passed by the Senate on March 26.

Calling Americans to Serve at a Critical Time

President Obama has called on Congress to create new service and volunteer opportunities for Americans that will help to build a stronger country. This legislation answers his call. It will launch a new era of service that will give Americans of all ages the opportunity to help our nation recover and make progress on education, health care, energy and other key goals by volunteering, whether it is helping students achieve in school, weatherizing homes and greening communities, rebuilding cities in times of disaster, feeding the hungry, helping seniors live independently, and much more.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), which received final passage by the House on March 31 by a vote of 275-149, includes new changes (highlighted in red below) from the previous version of the bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act. The bill authorizes nearly $6 billion over five years – FY 2010 through FY 2014.

Expanding Service Opportunities for College Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Middle and High School Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Seniors »
Expanding Green Service for Americans »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Veterans »
Strengthening Volunteer Disaster Relief Efforts »
Find Out About National Service in Your State »

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Dina Titus, Education and Labor Committee Member and Member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.)

With nearly 12 million of the 18.5 million children under age five in the United States in some type of regular child care or early education setting, we must ensure that high standards are met for the care of these children.  A solid early learning foundation helps children succeed later in school, helps America compete in a global market and gives all Americans a better opportunity to succeed in life.  In short, we know that those who start earlier, do better, and stay in school longer.  

At today’s hearing, Gina Adams, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, told us that research shows that the general quality of care that children receive in our country is not adequate.  She recommended focusing our policies across the age spectrum from birth to age five, investing in efforts that support the ability of working families to access high quality services, and improving the quality of child care.

Today, the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee continues the series of hearings devoted to strengthening early childhood education with a hearing on “Improving Early Childhood Development Policies and Practices”. The hearing will further examine the early learning and child care needs of children and families, as well as collaborative state efforts and other initiatives to deliver high quality care and education to children from birth through age five.

This effort comes a week after President Barack Obama delivered his first major speech on education, in which he discussed early education as a critical part of his agenda.

Next week, the House Education and Labor Committee will launch a series of committee and subcommittee hearings devoted to strengthening early childhood education. The hearings will examine the early learning and child care needs of children and families, as well as collaborative state efforts and other initiatives to deliver high quality care and education to children from birth through age five.

This effort comes a week after President Barack Obama delivered his first major speech on education, in which he discussed early education as a critical part of his agenda.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will more than triple the number of volunteer opportunities for Americans, from 75,000 to 250,000, in part by establishing a new Clean Energy Corps focused on energy efficiency and conservation.  The bill will increase the education reward participants receive for this service from $4,725 to $5,350 for next year, the same as the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award.

It will also expand the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to include environmental and energy conservation efforts. Many of the new service and volunteer programs it will establish for younger students could include opportunities that enhance climate change education and introduce young Americans to the green-collar jobs of the future by performing energy audits and retrofits, weatherizing homes, rebuilding trails and parks, building and maintaining gardens and green spaces in communities, managing recycling programs, and more.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will help increase our nation’s preparedness in responding to hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other disasters that have devastated communities in recent years.

American service organizations and volunteers have played a vital role in relief and recovery efforts in the wake of tragedies. For example, since August 2005, the Corporation for National and Community Service, has provided more than $130 million worth of relief to Gulf Coast states devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and deployed nearly 92,000 national service volunteers who have put in over 3.5 million hours helping communities rebuild. This doesn’t include the additional 260,000 community volunteers involved in the recovery.

Even before floods devastated homes and businesses in southeast Iowa, volunteers were on the ground. To date, AmeriCorps has coordinated over 800,000 volunteer hours to help the state recover.

The Serve America Act creates a greater infrastructure and capacity for respond to disasters by growing the number of volunteers nationwide to 250,000, up from 75,000. The bill also makes it possible for existing programs to respond more effectively by expanding the focus of the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) to include disaster relief and infrastructure improvement.  The bill also establishes an alumni corps of former participants who can be called to service during times of disaster and other emergencies.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act comes as nearly 65,000 college students prepare to volunteer and serve on alternative Spring Breaks this year – up 11 percent over last year. Young Americans are serving in record numbers – and facing a difficult job market in today’s economy. Of the 1.2 million jobs lost last year, 60 percent were held by workers under the age of 25.

National and community service and volunteerism among college students is especially high. From September 2001 to 2006, the overall percent of college students who volunteer has increased to over 30 percent, exceeding the volunteer rate for adults. According to a 2006 report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, college students are twice as likely to volunteer as Americans of the same age who are not enrolled in an institution of higher education.

Specifically, the bill (H.R. 1388) will more than triple the number of volunteer opportunities for Americans, from 75,000 to 250,000, in key areas like education, clean energy, health care, and assistance for veterans. The bill will also increase the education reward they receive from $4,725 to $5,350 for next year, the same as the maximum Pell Grant scholarship award. The education award will be linked to match future boosts in the Pell Grant scholarship in order to keep up with rising college costs.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act provides the most significant expansion of national service and volunteer opportunities for middle and high school students in generations.

It will help our nation get through the economic crisis by making Americans of all ages a part of the solution to the many challenges facing the nation, including education. The bill will both increase opportunities for students to get involved with service and boost service initiatives focused on education, including mentoring programs and programs that help boost student achievement. This is the largest expansion of national service since President Kennedy issued his call to service over fifty years ago.

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act will triple the number of volunteers, including the existing Senior Corp program, nationwide to 250,000, up from 75,000. Currently, Senior Corps is made up of 475,000 volunteers who contribute 116 million hours of service each year. The Senior Corps captures the skills and talents of people over 55 to meet community needs through mentoring, serving as foster grandparents, and helping other seniors continue to live independently. Older Americans will be allowed to transfer their education awards to a child, foster child or grandchild to help them pay for college.

In 2005, nearly a third of all baby boomers volunteered with formal organizations -– the highest volunteer rate of any group of Americans according to the Corporation for National & Community Service. The bill will create Silver Scholarships and Encore Fellowships that will create opportunities for seniors to transition into service after they have retired. Silver Scholars will be able to earn up to $1,000 in exchange for 350 hours of service. For seniors who may need to re-enter the workforce to make ends meet, these programs can also help them transition into new careers in the public or nonprofit sector. 

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act creates a separate Veteran’s Corps designed to help veterans meet the needs of their fellow servicemen and women. In this economic crisis, this program will help mitigate the disproportionately high levels of unemployment among veterans by creating opportunities for them to continue their highly valued service. To watch a video of Retired Capt. Scott Quilty, who served in Iraq, explain how volunteer opportunities can help veterans recover from war and rebuild communities, click here.

Veterans are uniquely situated to understand and meet the special needs of those returning home from war. The Veteran’s Corps will function similarly to AmeriCorps or Senior Corps by creating opportunities for veterans to continue serving their country. The Serve America Act will support programs that help provide education, mentoring, and job training to fellow veterans. It will be the first program of its kind.

The Corporation for National & Community Service offers state-by-state data on which national service programs are currently operating in each state.  Click here to find out about your state »

(This is a guest blog post by Rep. Mazie Hirono, Education and Labor Committee Member and Member of the Subcommittee Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education.)

In today’s Education and Labor Committee hearing, we heard from experts in early education and child care from across the country.  The panel testified to the importance of investing in high quality early education and child care opportunities for children from birth to five.  We also saw that the entire panel agreed that the debate about the importance of quality early childhood education is over; study after study has shown that high quality early education does make a positive difference in a child’s life.  Children who attend good preschools are more likely to perform well in school and graduate from high school, and are less likely to commit a crime or use drugs.  With that important debate settled, we need to work with states to encourage investments in quality early education opportunities.

Next week, the House Education and Labor Committee will launch a series of committee and subcommittee hearings devoted to strengthening early childhood education. The hearings will examine the early learning and child care needs of children and families, as well as collaborative state efforts and other initiatives to deliver high quality care and education to children from birth through age five.

This effort comes a week after President Barack Obama delivered his first major speech on education, in which he discussed early education as a critical part of his agenda.

This week, the Committee will launch a series of committee and subcommittee hearings devoted to strengthening early childhood education. The hearings will examine the early learning and child care needs of children and families, as well as collaborative state efforts and other initiatives to deliver high quality care and education to children from birth through age five.  This effort comes a week after President Barack Obama delivered his first major speech on education, in which he discussed early education as a critical part of his agenda.

Also this week, the House will vote on the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, which was passed by the Committee on March 11 by a vote of 34-3.

The House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee will hold a joint hearing with the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to examine if at-risk youth are missing out on educational opportunities while in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education settings and other environments.

Today, the Committee approved the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act by a bipartisan vote of 34-3.  In his address to a joint session of Congress, President Barack Obama made national service a key priority and asked Congress to take quick action. This legislation, which the House is expected to consider in the coming weeks, answers his call.

The GIVE Act will create new service opportunities for Americans by more than tripling the current number of volunteers, raising the number to 250,000. It will also boost the education awards volunteers receive in exchange for their service - encouraging more young students to get involved in service while helping them pay for college. And it will help prepare current and future generations for jobs in the green economy, and establish a Veterans Corp to meet the unique needs of veterans and military families.

Yesterday Chairman Miller was a featured speaker at the Data Quality Campaign’s conference on “Leveraging the Power of Data to Improve Education.”  He discussed the urgent need to use data systems and praised President Obama and Secretary Duncan for their leadership in ensuring education is a top priority in this administration. To read his full remarks as prepared, click here.



Created with flickrSLiDR.

On Wednesday, March 11th, the Committee will vote on bipartisan legislation that will launch a new era of service and volunteerism to help America get through the economic crisis.

President Obama called on Congress to send him similar legislation in his first major address to Congress; the House is expected to consider the measure in the coming weeks.

The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act will create new service opportunities for Americans by more than tripling the current number of volunteers, raising the number to 250,000. It will also boost the education awards volunteers receive in exchange for their service - encouraging more young students to get involved in service while helping them pay for college. And it will help prepare current and future generations for jobs in the green economy, and establish a Veterans Corp to meet the unique needs of veterans and military families.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today issued the following statement praising President Barack Obama's first major speech on education this morning. 

Please see our page on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act for the latest version of this legislation.


Calling Americans to Serve at a Critical Time

America is facing unprecedented challenges – the economy, health care, energy, schools in need of improvement and more. With our public needs intensifying in this recession, there’s no better time to support and energize community service and volunteerism to help our country get through this economic crisis, restore confidence and prepare our nation for the future.

President Obama has called on Congress to create new opportunities for Americans to build a stronger country by helping students perform better in school, prepare Americans for green and innovative 21st century jobs, rebuild cities in times of disaster, improve communities and much, much more. This legislation, passed by the Committee by a vote of 34-3 on March 11, 2009, answers his call. It will launch a new era of service that will give Americans of all ages an opportunity to invest through service in our nation’s recovery.

Expanding Service Opportunities for College Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Middle and High School Students »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Seniors »
Expanding Green Service for Americans »
Expanding Service Opportunities for Veterans »
Strengthening Volunteer Disaster Relief Efforts »
Find Out About National Service in Your State »

On Thursday, March 12, the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities will hold a joint hearing with the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security to examine if at-risk youth are missing out on educational opportunities while in foster care, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education settings and other environments.

WHAT:         
Hearing on “Lost Educational Opportunities in Alternative Settings”

WHO:           
Dr. Thomas Blomberg, Professor of Criminology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
Ms. Linda Brooke, Director of Government Relations and Education Services, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, Austin, TX 
Dr. Cynthia Cave, Director, Office of Student Services, Richmond, VA
Leonard Dixon, M.S., Executive Director, Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility, Detroit, MI
Janeen Steel, Esq., Executive Director, Learning Rights Law Center, Los Angeles, CA
Additional Witnesses TBA

WHEN:         
Thursday, March 12, 2009
10:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE:      
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Please check the Committee's schedule for updates.

The New York Times published an editorial this morning entitled Helping Students, Not Lenders. They highlight President Obama's efforts to save taxpayers $47.5 billion over ten years and make loans more dependable for students.

The budget rightly calls for phasing out the wasteful and all-too-corruptible portion of the student program that relies on private lenders. And it calls for expanding the less-expensive and more-efficient program that allows students to borrow directly from the federal government. That means doing away with the Federal Family Education Loan Program, under which private lenders receive unnecessary subsidies to make risk-free student loans that are guaranteed by taxpayers.

This builds upon Rep. Miller and the Education and Labor Committee's efforts in the 110th Congress.

We encourage you to read the entire editorial.

In Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, they highlighted how the $100 billion in funding dedicated to education touches programs for almost every age group, from early-childhood programs to financial aid for college students.

Some highlights include:

Early Childhood - The law provides $5 billion for early-childhood programs, including the federally funded Head Start for low-income families.

K-12 - The law calls for distribution of $53.6 billion in "stabilization" funds that will go to states to help avert further education cuts...the Atlanta Public School District, whose general fund is expected to decline to $640 million next school year from the current $661 million, says that the stabilization funds will help save teaching jobs and avert potential cuts to programs, such as professional-development workshops for teachers and student counseling.

Another $12 billion is set aside specifically for programs related to students with disabilities.

Included in the stimulus package is up to $33.6 billion toward school modernization. At the Indianapolis Public Schools, school officials have created a "working document" over the past two weeks to identify structural priorities in their 72 school buildings that could be addressed with stimulus money. "Frankly, it's student safety," says spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley. "Things like ensuring exterior doors are working well."

Higher Education - The stimulus law increases Pell Grants for low-income students to a maximum of $5,350 from the current $4,731 and provides an additional $200 million boost for the federal work-study program, where the government and colleges provide funds to pay students who work part-time.

Read the rest here

Photos from today's hearing on "Renewing America through National Service and Volunteerism" (click on photos for more information):


Created with flickrSLiDR.

On February 25th, recording artist Usher testified before the Committee on Education and Labor at a hearing examining how to renew America through national service and volunteerism.  Watch the video of Usher here »  The hearing built on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism, examining the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country. TIME’s Richard Stengel and former Senator Harris Wofford also testified.  

Chairman George Miller's opening statement:




Usher's testimony:

To build on the important conversations happening across the country on national service and volunteerism, the House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday, February 25, to examine the importance of national and community service in meeting critical economic needs across the country. This will be the first full committee education hearing held in the 111th Congress.

Boosting community service is a key priority for President Obama, whose official Inauguration activities included a “National Day of Service” where hundreds of thousands of Americans volunteered in their communities. Among other things, the hearing will focus on reinvigorating civic engagement across all levels of society, expanding opportunities for young people to participate in service, and how national and community service can help “green” America.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved legislation to protect teenagers attending residential programs from physical, mental, and sexual abuse and increase transparency to help parents make safe choices for their children. The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 (H.R. 911) won strong bipartisan support, with a vote of 295 to 102.

Investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office during the 110th Congress at the request of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, uncovered thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect since the early 1990’s at teen residential programs, including therapeutic boarding schools, boot camps, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities. A separate GAO report also conducted at Miller’s request found major gaps in the licensing and oversight of residential programs. Where state licensing standards exist, these programs are governed by a weak patchwork of state and federal standards, however some are not covered at all.

In case you missed Sunday's New York Times editorial, it highlighted some key measures in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for tracking student performance:

The stimulus package, including a $54 billion “stabilization” fund to protect schools against layoffs and budget cuts, is rightly framed to encourage compliance. States will need to create data collection systems that should ideally show how children perform year to year as well as how teachers affect student performance over time. States will also be required to improve academic standards as well as the notoriously weak tests now used to measure achievement — replacing, for instance, the pervasive fill-in-the-bubble tests with advanced assessments that better measure writing and thinking.

We encourage you to read the entire editorial.

The White House announced that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law today by President Obama, will save or create 3.5 million jobs over the next two years. 

More about the impact of the new law can be found in these White House fact sheets:

Overview on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act »
Impact of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Working Families »
Employment Numbers by State »
Education Fact Sheet »
Health Care Fact Sheet »

Also, visit Recovery.gov to see how money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be spent.

Click here for updated information on the education funding each state will receive from certain aspects of the final American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

Building a Strong, Competitive 21st Century Economy

School buildings across the country are literally crumbling. Recent studies estimate that hundreds of billions of dollars are 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:

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 invests $105.9 billion in education and training to help build the world class education system our economy needs and our children deserve. The plan will:

Today the Committee approved the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 by a vote of 32-10.  This legislation will protect teenagers attending residential treatment programs, including therapeutic boarding schools, boot camps, wilderness programs and behavior modification facilities, from physical, mental, and sexual abuse and increase transparency to help parents make safe choices for their children.

Investigations conducted by the Government Accountability Office during the 110th Congress uncovered thousands of cases and allegations of child abuse and neglect since the early 1990’s at teen residential programs. Currently, these programs are governed only by a weak patchwork of state and federal standards. A separate GAO report, also conducted last year at the committee’s request, found major gaps in the licensing and oversight of residential programs – some of which are not covered by any state licensing standards at all. More »

Keeping Kids Safe

Tens of thousands of U.S. teenagers attend private and public residential programs – including therapeutic boarding schools, wilderness camps, boot camps, and behavior modification facilities – that are intended to help them with behavioral, emotional, mental health, or substance abuse problems. Depending on the state in which the program operates, some of these programs are subject to State law or regulation, while others are not. As a result of this loose patchwork of state oversight, children at some the programs have been subject to abuse and neglect with little to no accountability.

The Government Accountability Office found thousands of allegations of child abuse and neglect at residential programs for teens since the early 1990s. Tragically, in a number of cases, this abuse and neglect led to the death of a child. To address this urgent problem, the “Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009” would:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after the Senate passed its version of the economic recovery plan. According to new estimates compiled by the Economic Policy Institute, the $14 billion in school modernization passed as part of the House’s economic recovery plan would create at least 315,000 more jobs than the Senate-passed bill.

The House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today, by a vote of 244-188. 
This vital first step toward jumpstarting the economy will create and save up to four million new jobs and strengthen America’s long-term economy.

“We simply cannot let our education systems collapse as the economy collapses,” Chairman Miller said. “Together, these investments will meet the most urgent challenges we face: creating new jobs that can’t get shipped overseas, mitigating the devastation of state and local budget cuts, and most importantly – making sure that our schoolchildren and students don’t become the victims of this economic crisis. With more job layoffs coming by the day, American workers and families can’t afford to wait for this relief.”

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act this afternoon. This measure includes critical education investments that will create or save hundreds of thousands of jobs, provide immediate relief to schools and colleges reeling from state budget cutbacks, and give workers the training and support they need to help move our economy forward.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office to further investigate recent reports of seclusion and restraint of children in public and private schools across the country. Miller’s committee plans to hold a hearing on these practices in the coming months. 

Below are estimates of the amount of education funding that each state will receive from certain aspects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  These are estimates only based on available and current data and may not reflect exact allocations that states or school districts receive when these funds are actually allocated.

Click here to download the Department of Education's state-level data, including the State Stabilization Fund, Title I and IDEA »

Click here to download the Department of Education's estimates of school district level allocations for Title I » (Approximately half of these funds will be distributed on April 1, 2009;  the second installment is expected later this fall.)

Click here to download school district level allocations for IDEA, as calculated by CRS on February 13, 2009 » (Approximately half of these funds will be distributed on April 1, 2009;  the second installment is expected later this fall.) (State-by-state breakdowns below.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee today congratulated Arne Duncan on his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Education.  Duncan was among the first cabinet members of the Obama administration to be confirmed by the Senate yesterday.
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today highlighted key provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will provide vital aid to children, students and workers, create jobs, and get the economy moving forward again. (Click here for school district information ») The House Appropriations Committee released full details of the legislation this morning.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today voiced his ardent support for Arne Duncan the next Secretary of Education. He urged the Senate to pursue a quick confirmation.

Chairman George Miller met with Secretary of Education nominee Arne Duncan yesterday to discuss Obama administration education priorities and the 111th Congress.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised President-Elect Barack Obama’s selection of Arne Duncan, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, as the next Secretary of Education.

“This morning’s announcement of Arne Duncan as our next Secretary of Education is very exciting news for school reform, students and parents across America. Mr. Duncan is an experienced and accomplished leader who is open to the new, bold and innovative ideas needed to truly improve our schools."

This morning’s announcement of Arne Duncan as our next Secretary of Education is very exciting news for school reform, students and parents across America. Mr. Duncan is an experienced and accomplished leader who is open to the new, bold and innovative ideas needed to truly improve our schools.

As the head of Chicago’s public schools, he has an impressive track record in turning around failing schools, increasing graduation rates, and significantly boosting student achievement. He has dramatically improved teacher quality and effectiveness, by working with the local teachers union to establish a performance pay system and by providing mentoring and career ladders for teachers. A longtime champion of early education, he understands that we won’t be able to close the student achievement gap unless we improve educational opportunities for every child from their earliest years on.

Mr. Duncan takes the helm at a pivotal juncture for our schools and our economy. Our schools are in need of serious improvement; families continue to face a college affordability crisis; and we need to continue to strengthen our economic competitiveness. In an education landscape filled with strong – and often sharply contrasting – ideas, I believe that he will provide the leadership needed to bring diverse stakeholders together and break through the political gridlock.

This summer, Mr. Duncan told our committee of the importance of "challenging the status quo, pushing the envelope and driving change." I look forward to working with him and President-elect Obama to provide all students with a world-class education that prepares them to compete in our global economy and pursue their dreams.

Over the summer, Duncan testified before the Education and Labor Committee with mayors and superintendents of major U.S. cities on how to improve America’s schools and close the achievement gap:


For his written testimony, click here.

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Rush Holt (D-NJ) issued the following statement today on a new report that shows that while American students are making some strides in math achievement, students in other countries still outrank U.S. students in overall math and science performance. The study, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS),compares achievement among 4th and 8th grade students in math and science. The lawmakers said the report was the latest proof that the U.S. must re-double its commitment to improving math and science education, in part by drawing effective, qualified teachers to these subject areas.

This hearing examined whether the Department of Labor is doing enough to enforce U.S. child labor laws and will explore the impact of child labor on families.

In the past few weeks, the Committee has been hard at work pushing forward many key education measures. 

The Committee held a hearing on bipartisan legislation that would help strengthen American families and help more children arrive at school ready to succeed by expanding access to early childhood home visitation programs for parents and children.

Research shows that these programs, which provide a variety of services ranging from pre-natal medical care to school readiness and family literacy programs, can help improve student achievement, reduce child abuse rates, improve early identification of developmental delays and disabilities, and improve access to health services.