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| WILSON FOCUSES ON PRE-SCHOOL |
January 21, 2000 |
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Education Committee to hold hearing in Albuquerque
A friend once said to me, “the most important things we can give our children are a lot of love and a great education.” He was right. To succeed in the twenty first century our kids will have to have a better education than we had, and than our parents had. As we look to the future we, as a community have the responsibility to make sure that all children are prepared and not one child is left behind.
Our challenge as a community is great. One third of our students are dropping out of school and too few are going on to get the higher education they will need. All of us, working together, must address this problem.
On January 24, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing in Smith Brasher Hall on the campus of TVI. The committee will travel to New Mexico to learn more about the severe drop-out problems facing this State, the challenges we face in teacher training and retention, the importance of early childhood education and how we are addressing these challenges. Testimony will be taken from New Mexico early education and school officials, parents, community activists and teachers. In addition, local charter school advocates will provide input about what can be done by the federal government to help charter schools serve the needs of New Mexico students.
The meeting will be chaired by Congressman Peter Hoekstra of Michigan who serves as chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee, a position he has held since 1995. As chairman, he plays a key role in evaluating programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor. Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will also attend the hearing. The issues they raise will be addressed during the next session of Congress.
Overall federal funding for education has increased 26 percent during the past five years. This year alone, Congress has increased federal aid to education by $200 million. While education is primarily a state and local issue, the federal government has a role to play in funding special education, helping states like New Mexico that have a disproportionate number of children in poverty, and addressing the national shortage of qualified teachers. We need to do this while making sure that decisions about your child’s education are made by people who know your child’s name.
One area of particular concern to me is improving the quality of early care and education. Studies have shown that the most critical years for learning are before kindergarten. In the landmark Perry Preschool Study, adults born into poverty who participated in a high-quality, active learning preschool program at the ages of three and four had a 70% graduation rate, half as many criminal arrests, higher earnings and property wealth and a greater commitment to marriage than their peers who did not participate in a quality pre-school. The 27 year study followed the lives of 123 children in poverty and at high risk of failing in school.
Congress expanded the Head Start program this year, but that is not enough. Thousands of children remain in federally subsidized child care programs that lack the funds to provide quality care.
Congress, the New Mexico State Legislature, state, county and local governments, parents, teachers, school administrators and the whole community all have vital roles to play to ensure that every child stays in school and gets a great education. This legislative field hearing will allow New Mexican’s to tell their story and have a voice. |
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