Fighting for Students and Teachers

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Fighting for Critical Education Funding

Fighting for Critical Education Resources

• Congressman Murphy fought for an additional $941 million to reverse the unfunded man-dates of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and an additional $1.4 billion for Title I to help an additional 276,000 disadvantaged kids with math and reading instruction.
• In addition, Congressman Murphy fought to secure millions in additional funding for after-school programs and education for disabled children.

Fighting to Fix No Child Left Behind

• Congressman Murphy believes that NCLB needs to be restructured to include accountability for our schools, without leaving our teachers “teaching to the test” and without excessive financial burdens on local governments and property owners.

Making College More Affordable

Proud Supporter of the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007

• This bill cuts federally subsidized loan interest rates in half, saving students approximately $4,400 over the life of their loans. This bill will cut the cost of college for nearly 200,000 Pennsylvania undergraduate students and their families.

Introduced Legislation to Expand Tax Deductibility of College Tuition

• Congressman Murphy sponsored legislation that makes the above-the-line tax deduction for tuition permanent. This bill helps hard working families offset some of the tuition costs families incur to make sure that their children have a better future.

Introduced the Truth in Tuition Act

• Congressman Murphy’s legislation mandates that schools give students multiyear tuition and fee schedules at the beginning of their college careers so students and their families aren’t blindsided by surprise spikes in tuition costs.

Proud Supporter of Higher Education Opportunity Act

• The Higher Education Opportunity Act will would reform our higher education system so that it operates in the best interests of students and families, while boosting our competitiveness and strengthening our future. This bill encourages colleges to rein in price increases and provide consumers with helpful information, simplifies the federal student aid application process, and makes textbook costs more manageable.

Helping America Students Compete in a Global Economy

Proud Supporter of the America COMPETES Act

• This bill invests in nearly 25,000 new teachers over the next three years through professional development, summer training institutes, graduate education assistance, and scholarships through Teacher Scholarship Programs and the Math and Science Partnerships Program. The bill also authorizes $33.6 billion for Science, Technology, and Mathematics programs. The bill was signed into law in July of 2007.

Co-Sponsor of the Prepare All Kids Act

• Congressman Murphy is a proud co-sponsor of “The Prepare All Kids Act” which was introduced by Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey in the U.S. Senate. The bill would help states provide voluntary high quality pre-kindergarten programs that will prepare children for a successful transition to kindergarten and elementary school.

Co-Sponsor of the National Security Language Act

• This bill expands our investment in foreign language education on the primary, secondary, and post-secondary level. Especially in a post-9/11 world, language professionals are in high demand, and it is important for this and other reasons that we cultivate the language skills and interests in our schools.

Passed an Amendment to Advance “Green Jobs” Training

• Congressman Murphy passed an amendment which ensures that increased federal funding for school construction can be spent to purchase equipment that allows students to become proficient in emerging green energy careers.

Fighting For Safer Schools

Proud Supporter of the 21st Century High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act

• Congressman Murphy proudly supports this bill authorizing $6.4 billion for school construction projects for fiscal year 2009. It ensures that school districts will quickly receive funds for school modernization, renovation, and repairs that improve the teaching and learning climate, health and safety, and energy efficiency.

Co-sponsor of the School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007

• This comprehensive package strengthens law enforcement and school safety both at the elementary and secondary school level and on college campuses. These improvements will make our elementary and secondary schools safer by funding much-needed infrastructure improvements and they will enable students to report potentially dangerous situations to school administrators before they occur.

Increase Funds for Teacher Training

Funding for The Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education

• Congressman Murphy teamed up with Senator Casey to secure over $500,000 in funds to support the SEPCHE Institute of Mathematics and Science, including a summer program for K-12 math/science teachers. This funding will help ensure that our teachers have the right resources in the classrooms and the continuing education to keep them on the cutting edge.

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