Education
Rep. Chu speaking to children in a classroom.
“Education is a proven pathway for success. As a former educator and school board member in our community, I understand the needs our schools face. We need to fully fund education programs, give our students the resources they need and ensure our schools are environments for learning. That’s why my bills provide adaptable solutions to the unique problems individual school districts face.”
- Rep. Judy Chu
In tough economic times, we need to look to investing in education to keep our country globally competitive. No Child Left Behind left our schools in a poor state, where teachers are “teaching to the test” and subjects like science and history are on the chopping block. That is why I am pushing to change our education system.
I support education policies that ensure equal opportunity for all children. I am fighting to keep the promise of public education for every child, not just a select few that win a lottery or grant. Our students need research-driven innovation in our schools that will increase academic achievement and turn our students into critical thinkers, not test-takers.
My agenda includes long-term and high-quality solutions such as early childhood programs, more support personnel in schools to address barriers to learning, and a stable supply of experienced and effective teachers that will lead to dramatic and successful change.
My Education priorities are:
Strengthening Our Schools
Providing Equal Access to Education
Supporting Gobal Languages Early Education (GLEE)
Making College Affordable
Strengthening Our Schools
A study conducted in Chicago found that the only difference between which schools succeed and which schools fail was the externalities facing the students. The lead author, Anthony Bryk wrote, “When the density of problems walking through the front door is so palpable everyday it virtually consumes all your time and energy and detracts from efforts to improve teaching and learning.”
The researchers found that wraparound services are key to school improvement. Yet, our models for turning around schools basically ignore these strategies. I agree with the President and Secretary Duncan that we ought to shake up the status quo and fix our schools. That means finally funding the initiatives that combat poverty, provide teachers and leaders with the support they need, and promote collaboration with the community.
I did my own research and wrote a report called “Strengthening Our Schools,” which pulls together all of the research on school improvement and provides a framework for improving schools.
First, it emphasizes collaboration and focuses on the flexibility needed to come up with a solution that fits that individual schools and districts. Teachers, principals, parents, administrators, community leaders and businesses all need to be united. Because every community is different, every solution should be different as well.
Second, it removes barriers to student success by viewing wraparound services as essential. Many of the students in our lowest performing schools can’t focus on learning because they are hungry, they are abused at home, or they can't understand their teacher. Two-thirds of the achievement gap is due to factors outside of school.
Third, it fosters the development of teachers and school leaders. One of the most important factors in a student’s education is their teacher. We need systems where principals learn how to instruct and prepare their staff. Teachers need access to professional development programs that expose them to new, proven techniques and help them connect with special students.
Providing Equal Access to Education
Many of our minority students attend schools that lack the resources and staff to provide them with equal educational opportunities. Schools should be a place for these students to find a pathway to a better life, but in some cases, schools are just a reminder of the barriers to their success. According to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, schools with mostly African-American students are twice as likely to have teachers with only one or two years of experience as compared to predominately-white schools in the very same district. Moreover, California schools with the highest enrollment of minority students and the lowest academic achievement scores have teachers with the least years of experience. It is unconscionable for Congress to continue to let these inequities exist when one of the most influential factors on student achievement is having a great teacher.
That is why I introduced the Equal Access to Education Act. This bill creates a solution for high-need schools to recruit, induct and retain the best teachers to close the achievement gap for all students. It seeks to invest in programs that meet the demands of high-need schools by:
• Increasing the number of teachers from minority communities who have the training, mentorship and resources to succeed;
• Decreasing the high-turnover rates for educators in high-need schools;
• Creating residency programs that induct teachers into the first years of teaching;
• Providing educators with the knowledge base and skills to meet the needs of diverse learners including English language learners and students with disabilities; and
• Ensuring that students of all races and income levels get access to teachers who are fully prepared to meet their needs.
Supporting Global Languages Early Education (GLEE)
In many countries, students must learn at least two languages aside from their home language and begin compulsory learning of a foreign language during primary education. Meanwhile, only 15 percent of elementary students in the U.S. were enrolled in foreign language courses in 2008. The results of national testing conducted in 2005 shows that nearly half (46%) of 4th grade students in the English Language Learner (ELL) category scored "below basic" in mathematics in 2005--the lowest level possible. Nearly three quarters (73%) scored below basic in reading. To remain competitive in the global economy the U.S. must support bilingualism and close the achievement gaps for English Language Learners.
To promote bilingualism and to help close the achievement gap for English Language Learners, I introduced the Global Languages Early Education (GLEE) bill. It establishes an early education grant program in school districts. Most language programs start in high school. GLEE is different because it starts at preschool, which is shown to have the best success at creating bilingual students and increasing academic achievement amongst English Language Learners. It creates a high-quality early education program that is aligned through the 8th grade because research demonstrates most of the bilingual skills are lost if you don't continue bilingual education after the 5th grade.
Priority would go to schools that serve low-income students, develop public-private partnerships and offer a diverse set of languages that increase our Nation’s competitiveness and national security. GLEE establishes an expert research council to advise and guide national research on comparative approaches on teaching, best practices to close the achievement gap, academic progress and achievement, program development, teacher quality and best models of schools' infrastructure. The planning or implementation of a GLEE program will be granted competitive preference under a Promise Neighborhoods grant.
Making College Affordable
Pell Grants make college possible for over nine million Americans and nearly seventy percent of University of California students here in the 32nd District. Financial aid through Pell Grants are one of the keystones of economic mobility and opportunity in this country. However, some of my colleagues on Capitol Hill want to cut this investment in America’s future. It would be pennywise and pound-foolish to cut this program at a time of record income inequality and unemployment. I am leading the charge to preserve full funding for Pell Grants for California’s students so that every student, regardless of background, can afford a degree and keep America competitive in the global economy.
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