Education Reform

Strengthening America’s Education System

• Addressing the Childhood Obesity Epidemic
• Renewing and Reforming Special Education
• Strengthening and Improving Early Childhood Education
• Expanding Access to Higher Education for Low and Middle Income Students
• Improving Vocational and Technical Education
• Strengthening Coordination Among Schools, Libraries, & Museums
• Keeping Children Safe
• Expanding Access to Technology

Promoting Child Nutrition Programs

On June 30, 2004, the Child Nutrition Act was signed into law, enacting significant improvements to the nation's school lunch and child nutrition programs. The new Federal law enhances and renews child nutrition and school lunch programs and helps local communities work with parents to fight America’s growing child obesity problem. Strengthening child nutrition programs, the Child Nutrition Act:

• Empowers states and schools to fight childhood obesity
• Improves the integrity of the school lunch program
• Improves access to nutrition for all children

Vocational and Technical Education

Under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, states and local communities help prepare youth and adults for the future by building their academic and technical skills. The programs equip students with the knowledge to proceed with postsecondary education or pursue other postsecondary opportunities. Rep. Taylor has worked to strengthen the Perkins program by helping states better utilize federal funds for secondary and postsecondary vocational education programs, increasing accountability, emphasizing student achievement, and strengthening opportunities for coordination between secondary and postsecondary vocational and technical education.

Increased Federal Funding for Education in WNC

Congressman Taylor has established the WNC Broadband Initiative that has secured $14.5 million in federal funding since 2000 to develop a regional infrastructure to provide affordable, high-speed internet access to Western North Carolina. Through this developing infrastructure, local schools have been able to utilize a high-speed internet connection and increase the use of technology in the classroom. Rep. Taylor also launched the Adventure of the American Mind (AAM) program that now serves as a model for similar programs across the country. Students are able to benefit from this through the AAM Math Labs, a computerized program that allows students to learn at their own pace with teachers available to help the students as needed. The Math Labs, which are already located at different locations around WNC, prepare students for the demands of higher education because students must have a very clear understanding of the material before they can move to the next level. Teachers are able to benefit from AAM because it trains them to produce, access and use curriculum utilizing the high-speed technology and materials from the Library of Congress. Since 2000, 3274 teachers in 253 schools in WNC have been trained through AAM, and through this training, teachers are able to quickly incorporate primary sources into the lesson plan instead of simply limiting lectures and class discussion to what is available in a textbook.

For more information about this and other education initiatives around Western North Carolina please visit the following websites:

Education and Research Consortium’s Broadband Initiative
The Adventure of the American Mind
American Memory Program

Committee Websites

House Education & Workforce Committee
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education

Related Documents:

Press Release - Rep. Taylor Joins First Lady Laura Bush in The Big Read 7.20.2006

Press Release - Rep. Taylor Announces Safe/Healthy Schools Grant for Cherokee, Graham and Swain Counties 7.11.2006

Press Release - Rep. Taylor Supports Pell Grant Increase 3.30.2006

Press Release - Rep. Taylor Secures One Million Dollars to Expand Engineering Program at Western Carolina University 11.23.2005

Press Release - Rep. Taylor Announces Grant for Stecoah Valley Arts, Crafts & Educational Center 11.17.2005


More Documents...

Related Files:

Education Mailer

Education and Workforce Committee Priorities in the 109th Congress