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Education
and Technology
During my tenure in Congress my technology agenda for education
has centered around three pillars: improving the technological
infrastructure of America’s public schools and libraries;
enhancing the technological skills of America’s teachers;
and using this country’s most precious resource –
our youth – to develop a culture of equal digital opportunity
that leaves no child behind. I, therefore, introduced the
Research on High-Performance Networking for Science Education
Act, to authorize the National Science Foundation to research
projects to develop and assess novel uses of high-performance
computer networks for use in science, mathematics, and technology
education in elementary and secondary schools.
I also joined with colleagues in leading the effort to ensure
adequate funding for three critically important community
technology programs. The Technology Opportunities Program
(TOP), Community Technology Centers (CTC), and Neighborhood
Networks provide crucial assistance to libraries, community
centers, after-school programs, and other local organizations
offering underserved populations access to information technology
and training.
In connection with these efforts I Co-Chair of the House Digital
Divide Caucus, which is a Congressional bi-partisan effort
created in response to increasing evidence of a technological
divide in American society. The technology divide is defined
as those who have access to the Internet, the World Wide Web
and its capabilities, and those who do not.
Along with other Members of the House Digital Divide Caucus
I work to bridge the divide by holding open public forums
and to hear from various policy experts, consumer advocates,
and corporate decision makers with the purpose of advocating
and crafting public policy approaches to closing this technology
gap. Members of Congress who advocate technology funding in
areas of defense, business, and education know well the struggle
for the limited technology resources that are available. The
House Digital Divide Caucus has the goal of insuring Internet
access for all Americans.
Special Education
As a strong supporter of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), a fundamental civil rights program,
it is important for the federal government to provide funds
to states for the education of children with disabilities.
However, since 1975, Congress has placed yet another unfunded
mandate on local communities. Since IDEA became law, Congress
has authorized spending of up to forty percent of the cost
of the average per pupil expenditure on special education,
but has failed to meet that commitment time after time. Fiscal
Year 2004 meets 18.6 percent of that commitment, not even
half of what we have promised. And this represents the highest
percentage since the law was passed.
On November 19, 2004, I voted in favor of H.R. 1350, which
reauthorized IDEA and included provisions aimed at improving
the collaboration between parents, administrators, educators,
and students to provide the best possible education. This
legislation also included a timeline for the federal government
to reach full funding of IDEA by 2011. Unfortunately, Fiscal
Year 2005 spending was $481 million short of the President’s
request for special education. As such, I introduced H.R.
1107 that would require the federal government to fully fund
its share of IDEA now, not set up a timeline for full funding
that will likely be ignored.
No Child Left Behind
In supporting the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) when it
became law, Congress hoped to strengthen education in this
country by enhancing accountability in our public schools,
increasing overall funding for education of disadvantaged
students, science and math education, and technology programs.
Unfortunately, these promises have not come to fruition in
the past three years. Fiscal Year 2005 spending for No Child
Left Behind comes up $398 million short of the President’s
request. That is why I cosponsored HR 2394, the Keeping Our
Promises to America's Children Act, to allow a state education
agency or school district to suspend implementation of NCLB
provisions until it is fully funded.
Higher Education
The Higher Education Act (HEA) authorizes the federal government’s
major student aid programs, as well as other significant programs
such as those providing aid to special groups of higher education
institutions and support services to enable disadvantaged
students to complete secondary school and enter and complete
college. The Republican Leadership in Congress allowed the
funding authorizations in HEA to expire, but temporarily extended
HEA through Fiscal Year 2005. Studies have shown that college
costs have risen more rapidly than household income over the
past twenty years. This raises significant concerns about
the accessibility of a college education, especially as a
college degree becomes more and more necessary in the new
world economy.
The federal Pell Grant program offers need-based scholarships
to undergraduate college students, providing more than $13
billion in grants nationwide to over five million college
students from low- and middle-income families. These scholarships,
which account for nearly all federal grant assistance to college
students, offer valuable support for students and their families
who are attempting to contend with rapidly rising tuition
costs.
Unfortunately, Fiscal Year 2005 spending once again froze
the maximum value of the Pell grant at $4,050 for the second
year in a row, despite the fact that the Pell Grant is worth
nearly $800 less today, in real terms, than it was 1975-76,
according to the College Board. In the First District alone,
9,507 students receive Pell Grants for a total of over $21
million. Increasing the maximum value of Pell Grants to $5,100
would mean an additional $6.5 million for students of the
First District.
Head Start
Since my tenure as President of the Connecticut state senate
I have been a strong supporter of the Head Start program,
which provides comprehensive child development programs to
help increase the school readiness of young children in low-income
families. Begun in 1964 under President Lyndon Johnson, Head
Start is one of the most evaluated and successful federal
programs. Children who attend Head Start exceed national norms
in vocabulary; early writing, letter recognition and social
behavior, and they enter school better prepared than low-income
children who do not attend Head Start. Head Start students
are less likely to need special education services, less likely
to repeat a grade, more likely to graduate from high school
and less likely to commit crimes during adolescence.
On July 25, 2003, I voted against the Head Start reauthorization
bill, H.R. 2210, because it would have dismantled the current,
successful program with block grants, reduced accountability
and ignored performance standards.
Math and Science Education
During this past session, I supported increased funding for
the Math and Science Partnership program within the Department
of Education for Fiscal Year 2005. This program provides necessary
professional development, which strengthens the teachers’
ability to effectively teach math and science and strengthens
our students’ math and science skills. Through formula
grants to every state, the Math and Science Partnerships provide
crucial teacher professional development by linking school
districts with university mathematics, science, and engineering
departments.
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