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Letter of the Week - Nancy Funds Important Education Programs

Every week, 2,000 - 3,000 Second District residents write to me about the issues pending before Congress, and I work hard to respond to each person as promptly and thoughtfully as possible.  On this "Letter of the Week" blog, I highlight constituent letters that are of general interest.  If you'd like to share your own views, please feel free to e-mail me at any time!

Representative Boyda:

I urge you to increase education funding next year, not cut it as the President has proposed.

Our nation must invest in education to equip the next generation of Americans to succeed in the global economy of the 21st century.

Ensuring that all children have a quality education is a top priority, best obtained by investing in proven programs: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Pell grants for higher education, and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Building and modernizing public schools is an investment in our nation's
infrastructure America cannot afford to do without.

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act must be reauthorized. Already, teachers and education support professionals in affected communities - some 4,400 school districts in rural counties in 42
states - are receiving layoff notices.

Increased funding for education is essential to fulfill every child's
basic right to a great public school.

Roy from Topeka, KS.

Dear Roy,

Thank you for writing to me about your concerns with the President’s budget and federal support for education.  I both need and value your input on what matters to you, and I appreciate this chance to let you know about some of the work I am doing in Congress.

On February 5, 2008 the President sent Congress his proposed budget.  This budget is a perfect example of how our government lacks basic common sense and is out of touch with the values of the good people who reside in the Second District of Kansas.  Let me assure you that the as far as I am concerned this budget will have little to no bearing on what Congress eventually funds.  If the federal budget is recognition of our nation’s priorities, I am afraid that I do not share the President’s priorities.

To show my strong support for education, I sent letters, along with my colleagues, to the House Appropriations Committee asking that they fund numerous educational initiatives.  The following list includes some of the programs that I supported:

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (also know as No Child Left Behind).   When NCLB became law, Congress promised to provide the funds necessary to implement all of its requirements.  Yet NCLB now faces a cumulative shortfall of $85.6 billion.  I believe that unfunded mandates are unacceptable – if the federal government is going to impose expensive educational requirements, we must provide states with the resources to implement them. 

Pell Grants.  Last year, the House passed the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which included language to increase the authorized maximum award from the current level of $4,310 to $5,400.  This is set to phase in over time, increased the maximum award to $4,800 for the 2008-2009 academic year.  In order to provide Pell Grants to eligible students, Congress must increase what its budget allocations to the Pell Grant program.

Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).
  Since 1975, students with disabilities have been promised a free and quality education under IDEA.  To help states afford this law, Congress promised to help states pay for the cost of special education, by pledging federal funding for 40% of the cost it takes to educate students with disabilities.  However, this promise has never been kept – in fact we have never even met half that commitment.  For fiscal year 2008, IDEA was funded at 17.17% and the President’s budget for fiscal year 2009 funds IDEA at only 17.11%.  Inadequate federal investment forces states and local school districts to cut other areas to make up the difference.  Congress made a promise in 1975 and keeping our word to America’s students should be a top priority of Congress.

Career and Technical Education (Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act).
Our country is facing a growing problem of not having enough qualified workers to fill high-demand jobs.  Across the country, employers are facing difficulties in finding skilled employees.  Career and technical education programs provide students with the skills they need to find employment in skilled professions and to compete in a competitive global economy. Unfortunately, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2009 proposes the elimination of all funding for programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.  For Kansas, this is a loss of over $11 million.

Head Start.  Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States.  It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.  Unfortunately, Head Start has experienced an 11% real decline in funding from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2008.  These recent cuts have left individual Head Start programs strapped for funding and only able to serve 42% of the eligible population of children and families.  Without increased funding, this percentage will continue to decrease due to the reality that more families are having difficulty making ends meet.  For Kansas, this means putting in jeopardy the over 50,000 children who currently use these services.

School Counseling.  The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) is the only federal program devoted to the creation and expansion of counseling programs in our nation’s schools. The need for counseling services at both the elementary and secondary school levels is clear, but the ability of school-employed counseling professionals to help is hindered by high student-to-professional ratios.  Currently, the average student-to-counselor ratio in America’s public schools is 476 to 1, while the student-to-school psychologist ratio is over 1600 to 1. The ESSCP allows school-employed counseling professionals to establish a comprehensive counseling program that helps to address barriers to learning and promote academic success.  These professionals guide students in academic, social, emotional, behavioral and career development, preparing them for fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. 

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). 
There are currently 64,000 National Board Certified Teachers in the United States and they are making a profound difference in the lives of the children they teach.  Like board-certified doctors and accountants, teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment, and peer review.  The President’s budget eliminates funding for NBPTS.  This cut would mean approximately 8,000 teachers would be unable to pursue National Board Certification.  This shortchanges not only our teachers, but the students they serve as well.

Rural Education. 
The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) passed as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, currently known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  REAP provides funding and flexibility to rural districts by providing grants that can be used for a wide variety of purposes including hiring new teachers, providing professional development opportunities, and bringing new technology to the classroom.  The majority of the counties in the Second District of Kansas are rural, and the students there deserve the same educational opportunities they’d receive anywhere else.

Arts Education.  Studies have consistently shown that students who take regular arts courses have better attendance at school, earn better grades, have lower drop-out rates, perform more community service, watch fewer hours of television and have higher self-esteem.  Unfortunately, the President’s budget for fiscal year 2009 eliminates entirely the Department of Education’s Arts in Education Program.  With NCLB forcing schools to place more emphasis on fundamentals like math and reading, we can’t forget the importance of a well-rounded education – one that includes art.

AfterSchool Programs.  Afterschool programs, like 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st Century CLCs), help keep kids safe, improve academic performance and help working families across America.  It is critical that children have access to programs after school that keep them safe and inspire learning instead of going home alone during the hours when they are most likely to be involved in crime or engage in risky behaviors like using alcohol and drugs.

Safe and Drug Free Schools. The Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC) program is the federal government’s primary initiative to prevent drug use and violence in and around schools.  The President’s budget for fiscal year 2009 would cut the program by 66%.  For Kansas, this would mean losing approximately $1.4 million for drug prevention programs that have been proven effective – since the program’s start, Kansas has report a 32% decrease in marijuana use.

It is time that we have a frank and open conversation with the American people.  The decisions that this Congress is going to have to make for this next fiscal year are going to be tough, but they must be done.  Some programs are going to see increased funding and others are going to have to find further efficiencies in their operations so that they can make do with similar or less funding than they have received in previous years.  I look forward to having this discussion with the people of the Second District as I believe that only through open dialogue are we going to be able to reconcile differences.

Over the next months, we must work together to restore fiscal responsibility and, at the same time, deliver real results to the people of the Second District.  I am committed to working toward economic prosperity, a strong national defense, affordable health care and energy prices and strong public schools.  It won’t be easy, but Congress can make a difference if party politics is put aside and we work together. 

Thank you again for taking the time to start this conversation with me.  I hope you will continue to keep in touch on this issue and others that are of importance to you.

Sincerely,
Rep. Boyda's signature
Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress