Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Educators Concerned About "No Child Left Behind"

When Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act, there was a bipartisan commitment to back up those high standards with the funding needed to improve our schools. Yet, the President's budget for Fiscal Year 2005 falls $9.4 billion short of full funding for the No Child Left Behind Act. Each year since the law was authorized, the gap between these promised levels and the actually funding has grown.

In meetings with Connecticut school superintendents, Rosa has listened as educators conveyed their frustration regarding the law's impact on their school district. They said that the lack of funding makes it extremely difficult to meet standards--that programs and personnel will likely have to be eliminated to implement the law.

To address their concerns, DeLauro recently introduced the No Child Left Behind Reform Act, which would change the current No Child Left Behind law to provide states with more flexibility in measuring student achievement, allow schools to target school choice and supplemental services to the students that demonstrate the need for them, and ensure that NCLB's highly qualified teacher provisions are both rigorous and reasonable.

"The No Child Left Behind Act has been a huge disappointment to the teachers, parents, and schoolchildren who have depended on this program to improve the quality of education in this country," DeLauro aid.

Rosa DeLauro would like to hear from you on how No Child Left Behind has affected your local schools, and how we can improve it. Feel free to call, write or email her office with your comments

Making Higher Education Affordable

Americans deeply value education and have always believed that a college education is the path to a brighter and more prosperous future for the next generation. However, the cost of higher education has increased dramatically over the past few years, making college unattainable for many families. For families with earnings in the botton fifth of all incomes, the annual cost of an education at a 4-year public university equaled 71% of their income in 2003. In addition, the strength of the Pell Grant has decreased, from covering 84 percent of the tuition in 1975 to only 39 percent today.

It is against this backdrop that Congress is preparing to reevaluate the Higher Education Act. This represents a golden opportunity for the Federal government to expand access to higher education for all students. In addition, Congresswoman DeLauro has introduced the College Loan Assistance Act, which would restore the original purchasing power of the government's student aid program by increasing the maximum Pell Grant to $7,000. It would also allow students that have education loans locked in higher interest rates to consolidate their debt more than once, in order to take advantage of the historic low interest rates, just as homeowners refinance their mortgages. Increasing the Pell Grant maximum will mean students will not have to borrow as much--easing the burden of repaying student loans, and more importantly, make the dream of college a reality for millions of families.

Working to Create Service Opportunities for Young People

The teenage years are a pivotal time for young people - a time when they are making choices that will influence the rest of their lives. Congresswoman DeLauro has introduced the Rite of Passage Community Service Act to create a network of service programs for middle school students to serve in their communities after school or during the summer.

Participants would also have the opportunity to attend other programs such as workshops on leadership development, public speaking, conflict resolution and other development programs. Like AmeriCorps, after completing 150 hours of service, participants in a Rite of Passage Service Program would be eligible for a $500 stipend to pay for college.

"Young people have so much enthusiasm and energy to share, and I know our communities will benefit from their efforts," DeLauro said. "The Rite of Passage Community Service Act will give our young people the opportunity to serve their communities and help instill them with a sense of community and shared responsibility."

Source