As we now know, education does not begin in kindergarten. That is why the Head Start program is so important. In 2006, Head Start gave over 900,000 American children an early start on education. With my active support, in May 2007, the House passed H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act of 2007. The legislation ensures that a greater number of Head Start teachers are trained and educated in early childhood development. It also strengthens Head Start’s academic standards by emphasizing cognitive development and the results of scientifically-based research in topics critical to children’s school readiness. The Head Start program has received increases in funding of varying levels over the past two decades. The FY 2007 appropriation provides close to $6.9 billion for Head Start, approximately $103 million over 2006.

Head Start gets children on the right path, and President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act seeks to ensure that every child remains on the educational road to success. The reauthorization of No Child Left Behind will be considered during this Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues to secure even more effective ways of improving the quality of education for our children. Children will no longer be passed along to the next grade without being properly prepared for success. We must never give up on any child; they may learn at different rates, but every young student must be accounted for under the law.

Because every child is important, the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), with my support, passed into law last year. IDEA provides billions of dollars in federal funding to assist states and local communities in providing free public education in the least restrictive environments for students with varying degrees of disabilities. The program has received three consecutive increases in funding, with special education grants being funded at the highest level in history, $11.8 billion, in FY 2007.

In the same way that education no longer begins with kindergarten, education no longer ends with High School. College degrees are increasingly necessary for high paying jobs in the modern workforce. With the help of my colleagues, I have worked hard to ensure that everyone has access to a college education. Congress approved over $80 billion in FY 2006 for direct financial assistance to students. As part of this package, Congress allocated an all time high of approximately $14 billion for Pell Grants- financial aid awards made directly to college students.

With my support, the House passed the College Student Relief Act of 2007, in January 2007. The College Student Relief Act will affect 5.5 million people—middle and low income individuals and their families. Within the last five years, interest rates on student loans have increased by 2 percentage points. A typical student graduates from college with $17, 500 in debt. The Department of Education estimates that over the next decade, 4.4 million high school graduates will be unable to attend a four year college due to the cost. H.R. 5 cuts interest rates for undergraduate borrowers of subsidized student loans from 6.8% to 3.4%. This started to take effect on July 1, 2007.

As higher education becomes increasingly important in the workforce, Congress must work to guarantee that our Colleges and Universities are accessible to everyone. I know that education is the key to success. I will continue to fight to improve the education of our children.

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