I
believe as a federal lawmaker it is important to be visible and
available to young people. To that end, I have made hundreds of school
visits and try to visit every high school in the district at least once
every two years.
When parents send their children to school, they entrust teachers and
staff with the most precious people in their lives. We must insist that
all children receive the very finest education possible and ensure that
teachers, principals, and staff are all well-qualified and
well-supported in their mission.
As the son of a public school teacher, and as a former university and
community college instructor, education is not just a political issue
for me, but something I am passionate about and to which I have
dedicated much of my life. I believe our education system today is
facing challenges on many fronts, but I do not believe the solution is
to simply throw money at the problem.
The first and most important responsibility falls with parents and
students themselves. As parents, we all need to set high standards for
our children and insist they do the hard work it takes to master the
basics of the good old "three Rs": Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. We
also need to teach the values of two more "Rs" - Respect and
Responsibility. We must insist that our young people develop the
critical thinking skills that are essential to the modern work force.
It is time for Congress to re-examine the No Child Left Behind Act to
ensure that it gives the teachers the tools they need to educate our
children to succeed in life, rather than for just a test. I have
supported legislation to modify educational programs for students with
special needs and to fully meet the federal responsibility for funding
these programs.
We often talk about making college more affordable for students, but
too often overlook career and technical education training. I have
co-founded the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus to
stress the importance of career and technical education programs, and
to support initiatives that provide youth and adults with the skills
they need for good paying jobs that help our communities stay
competitive.
At the college level, we must continue to strengthen our community
college system, as well as our four year institutions. Students should
not have to leave college burdened with enormous debt, and those who
are carrying existing student loans should be able to refinance those
loans at lower rates if they are available.
The success of our education system today will determine the success of
our nation tomorrow. We simply must do better from pre-school on up
through graduate school.
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Improving Math & Science Education
Our students must be provided with well-trained math and science
teachers and state-of-the-art curriculums to keep pace with today's job
markets. As the chairman of the Research and Science Education
Subcommittee, a member of the House Science Committee, Congressman
Baird believes we must improve the performance of our young people in
science, technology, and mathematical fields.
In
2007, Congressman Baird helped author the America COMPETES Act. This
landmark, bipartisan legislation makes substantial improvements to math
and science education, including establishing a program at the National
Science Foundation to create more qualified teachers in science and
math fields, and strengthened the nation's commitment to scientific
research. The America COMPETES Act, which was celebrated by educators
and businesses, was signed into law in August of 2007.
Expanding Access to Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education provides opportunities for students to
apply their learning in relevant, real world situations. It helps
students acquire the employability and leadership skills that will
enable them to succeed both in the workplace and in higher education.
In recognition of this, Congressman Baird founded the Congressional
Career and Technical Education Caucus. This Caucus works to increase
awareness of the importance of career and technical education in
Congress, supports funding and resources, and promotes legislation that
benefits career and technical education.
It
is clear that there is a growing demand for skilled workers in America.
Career and technical education programs address this need by focusing
education and job training skills in those areas with the greatest
need. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Standards' projections,
8 of out of the top 10 occupations with the largest job growth through
2014 will require an associate's degree or career and technical
training. In preparing for a well-educated and skilled workforce in
America, career and technical education is crucial in providing youth
and adults with the skills they need in a competitive global economy.
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Increasing Access to Foreign Language Education
The United States is facing a language gap that has the potential to
damage our global economic competitiveness. Economically, we must be
prepared to tap into emerging global markets like China and India.
While millions of Americans study foreign languages, the overwhelming
majority of class enrollment is in Spanish, French, or German.
Unfortunately, that enrollment balance does not reflect the economic
realities of the 21st century.
Congressman Baird believes we must ensure that our children and
grandchildren have the tools that they need to remain competitive in
the future global economy. The ability to speak the languages of
emerging economies will help U.S. businesses and protect American jobs.
Responding to this need, Congressman Baird has introduced the National
Foreign Language Coordination Act. This legislation would establish a
National Language Director and create a National Foreign Language
Coordination Council to develop and oversee the implementation of an
American foreign language strategy, including strengthening foreign
language education programs and standards.
Congressman
Baird has also introduced the Access to Language Education Act. This
legislation would create a federally-sponsored video programming
channel on the Internet focused on providing foreign language
instruction. Instruction would be provided for languages that are not
widely taught in educational institutions in the U.S., but that are
likely to have significant value for our country in global
competitiveness, trade, international relations, national security, and
defense.
Helping Pay for College
Federal college loan programs help students realize their dreams and
potential by assisting with rising tuition expenses. Unfortunately, in
an effort to reduce the federal deficit, the Bush Administration regularly proposed cuts to the student loan program. Congressman Baird
believes this approach was short-sighted. The economic benefit to our
country from having a highly educated, well-trained workforce
overshadows the relatively insignificant savings derived from cuts to
student loan programs.
In the 110th Congress, Congressman Baird voted in support of the College
Student Loan Relief Act. This legislation will cut the interest rate on
new student loans in half over a five-year period. He also supported
the House Fiscal Year 2008 budget, which provides for an increase in
the maximum Pell Grants award. He also voted for the College
Opportunity and Affordability Act, which passed the House in February
of 2008. The legislation includes important measures to make college
more affordable and accessible.
Congressman Baird is also working to expand financial aid opportunities
for students attending college on a less than half-time basis. Current
restrictions on financial aid programs prohibit most adult part-time
students from receiving assistance to enroll in higher education. To be
eligible for federally subsidized loans, a student must attend classes
on at least a half-time basis. This restriction means that a large
number of undergraduates are ineligible to participate in the largest
financial aid program of the federal government. Less-than-halftime
enrollment allows students to balance the demands of school, work, and
family. It also has been found to be less intimidating for students who
have been away from school and to allow them to take the steps
necessary to adjust to academic life.
That is why Congressman Baird has introduced the College
Affordability for Working Students Act. This bill aims to create a
demonstration program at up to 100 institutions to provide direct and
guaranteed loans to less-than-half-time students.
Congressman Baird also passed a successful amendment to the Higher
Education Reauthorization Act to require the Secretary of Education to
conduct a study and make recommendations on expanding aid available to
less than half-time students.
Reforming No Child Left Behind Act
As a former educator, Congressman Baird knows firsthand that
administrators, teachers, and parents understand the needs of their
districts best and ought to have substantive input in how federal
education funds are put to use.
Signed into law on January 8th, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
was designed to increase accountability, provide for greater local
control, allow parents more options, and give support for proven
teaching methods. This mission to improve teaching methods and raise
student achievement is indeed important. However, since the law's
enactment, the Administration has failed to request, and Congress has
failed to provide, the full funding levels authorized by the NCLB. In
fact, many of the changes NCLB made have left school districts
struggling to meet the requirements laid out in the law. NCLB standards
also unfairly grades schools with higher numbers of severely disabled
students on the same level as those without large special education
programs.
Congressman Baird strongly believes that while the intentions of NCLB
may have been constructive, Congress ought to listen to feedback from
parents, teachers, and administrators and revise the law to correct its
shortcomings. He also believes Congress and the president must fulfill
their promise and fully fund NCLB.
Congressman Baird has met with numerous education groups to understand
their priorities for this legislation and how NCLB has affected
students. He has been working with the House Education Committee to
ensure that they provide for the modification of educational programs
for students with special needs, meet the federal responsibility for
funding these programs, and include common-sense requirements regarding
the testing of students.
Helping Rural Counties Build Strong Schools
Rural counties, such as Skamania and Lewis in Southwest, Washington,
receive lower tax revenues because of the concentration of federal
lands in their county boundaries. To provide these communities with
much-needed resources, Congressman Baird helped pass the bipartisan
Secure Rural Schools legislation. The Secure Rural Schools program
allows counties to receive federal financial assistance based on the
average of the top three annual revenues they received from timber
harvest on federal lands from 1985 to 1999. The funding is provided for
rural county schools and other essential services. More than 4,400
schools and 700 counties nationwide have benefited from the law.
The
original legislation expired in 2006, but Congressman Baird helped
secure a one year extension for the program in 2007, and a four year extension in 2008.
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