• Increases the number of children enrolled in the school meals programs by using Medicaid data to directly certify eligible children. This provision will connect approximately new 115,000 students to the school meals program.
• Enhances universal meal access for eligible children in high poverty communities by using census data to determine school wide income eligibility. 
• Provides more meals for at-risk children nationwide by allowing Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) providers to be reimbursed for meals provided to low-income children after school. This provision will provide an additional 21 million meals annually. 
• Provides funding for innovative state and local projects to address childhood hunger and promote food security for low-income children.  
  

• Improves the nutritional quality of school meals by increasing the federal reimbursement rate for school lunches for districts who comply with federal nutrition standards. This additional 6 cents per meal will be the first real reimbursement rate increase in over 30 years.
• Removes junk food from schools by applying nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools.
• Promotes nutrition and wellness in child care settings by establishing nutrition requirements for CACFP.
• Connects more children to healthy produce from local farms by helping communities establish farm to school networks, create school gardens and use more local foods in cafeterias with $40 million in mandatory funding. 
• Strengthens local school wellness policies by updating existing requirements, increasing transparency, providing opportunities for community involvement, and compliance measurements.
• Supports breastfeeding for low-income women by supporting data collection in WIC and permanently authorizing performance bonuses for exemplary breastfeeding practices at WIC clinics and agencies.
  

• Supports schools' food service budgets by ensuring charges to school foodservice accounts are only for allowable expenses.
• Supports a skilled workforce by establishing professional standards and training opportunities for school food service providers. 
• Streamlines program administration by giving CACFP providers greater flexibility with their administrative funds and eliminating duplicative paperwork requirements and wasteful monitoring practices. 
• Increases efficiency and modernizes the WIC program by transitioning to an electronic benefit program.
• Improves food safety requirements for school meals by improving recall procedures and extending existing HACCP requirements to all places where school meals are prepared or served.
  

• Saves $1 billion over 10 years by extending a provision that allows the Secretary of Agriculture to count commodities purchased for market stabilization toward the required level of federal support (in the form of commodity foods) for the National School Lunch Program.
• Saves approximately $1.3 billion over 10 years by restructuring nutrition education in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) into a new grant program that distributes Federal funds by formula to the States. 
• Saves approximately $2.2 billion over 10 years by eliminating a temporary SNAP benefit increase provided by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).     
  

• Alabama PTA
• Alabama School Nutrition Association
• Alabama WIC Program
• Bay Area Food Bank
• Food Bank of North Alabama
• Health Action Partnership
• Jefferson County Department of Health
• Jefferson County WIC Program
• Jones Valley Urban Farm
• Morris Health Center
• St. Clair County WIC Program
• Trussville WIC Program

• Alaska Dietetic Association
• Alaska PTA
• Alaska School Nurses Association
• Alaska School Nutrition Association
• Food Bank of Alaska
• Maniilaq WIC Program

• Arizona Dietetic Association
• Grand Canyon Synod - ELCA
• Hualapai WIC Department
• Inter Tribal Council of Arizona
• Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona
• Navajo Nation WIC Program
• Planned Parenthood Arizona
• School Nurses Organization of Arizona
• School Nutrition Association of Arizona
• United Food Bank
• White Mountain Apache WIC Program

• 5 A Day Coalition
• Arkansas Action For Healthy Kids
• Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families
• Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association, Inc.
• Arkansas Food Policy Council
• Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
• Arkansas PTA
• Arkansas School Nurses Association
• Bull Shoals Food Pantry
• Carroll County Community Foundation
• Choctaw Food Bank
• Community Services Office, Inc.
• Economic Opportunity Agency of Washington County, Inc.
• Franklin County Learning Center
• Helping Hands of Winchester
• Hope in Action
• Hughes Christian Outreach Ministries
• Kids for Health
• Mountain Home Food Basket
• No Kid Hungry Arkansas
• Oak Forest United Methodist Church
• Ozark Opportunities, Inc.
• Seven Harvest, Inc.
• Sustainable Alternatives
• The Manna House
• Wildflowers Christian Ministry

• A Family Helping Agency Inc.
• A World Fit For Kids!
• Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association
• Alameda County WIC Program
• Alameda Point Collaborative
• Alliance Medical Center WIC Program
• Antelope Valley Hospital WIC Program
• Apricot Producers of California
• Baby Sips
• Bay Area Lactation Associates (BALA)
• Bay Area WIC Association
• Breastfeeding Coalition of Solano County
• Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles
• Breastfeeding Task Force of Santa Clara Valley
• California Association of Nutrition and Activity Programs (CAN-Act)
• California Center for Public Health Advocacy
• California Conference of Local Health Department Nutritionists (CCLHDN)
• California Department of Education
• California Dietetic Association
• California District Council Health Professional Auxiliary
• California Grape & Tree Fruit League
• California Public Health Association-North
• California School Health Centers Association
• California State PTA
• California State University, Fresno
• California WIC Association
• CANFIT
• Center for Health Leadership
• Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion
• Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program
• Central Valley Indian Health WIC Program
• Chico Eat Learn Grow
• City of Long Beach WIC Program
• Collaboratively Creating Health Access, Opportunities, & Services (cChaos)
• Community Action Partnership of Kern WIC Program
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers
• Community Bridges WIC Program
• Community Medical Center WIC Program
• Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley
• County of Napa WIC Program
• County of Sonoma DHS WIC Program
• Cover My Heart
• CWA
• Delta Health Care
• East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital
• E-Center
• Family YMCA of the Desert
• Farm to Table Food Services
• Feeding America San Diego
• First 5 Los Angeles
• First 5 Santa Clara County
• First 5 Solano Children and Families Commission
• Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
• Food for People, Inc.
• FOOD Share
• FoodLink for Tulare County, Inc.
• Fresh Produce & Floral Council
• Fresno County WIC Program
• Fresno Metro Ministry
• Gardner Family Care Corporation WIC Program
• Glenn County Health Services
• Greater Los Angeles Breastfeeding Task Force
• Grower-Shipper Association of Central California
• Help Choose Your Life
• HER Consulting
• Hill Country Health and Wellness Center
• Humanist Association of Orange County
• Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley WIC Program
• Inland Congregations United for Change
• Inland Empire Veterans Stand Down
• Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles
• Kalusugan Community Services
• Kernville Union School District
• Kings County Breastfeeding Coalition
• Kings County Health Department WIC Program
• La Leche League of Ukiah
• La Luna Perinatal Services
• Lactation Advocates of Northern California
• Lake County Community Action Agency
• LEAPS Action Center
• Long Beach Grows
• Los Angeles Best Babies Network
• Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
• Los Angeles County Office of Education
• Los Angeles Unified School District
• Lotus Tribe
• Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California
• Marin County WIC Program
• Maternal and Child Health Access
• Mendocino County Breastfeeding Coalition
• Mendocino County WIC Program
• Mono County WIC Program
• Monterey County WIC Program
• Native American Health Center
• Native Breastfeeding Council
• Network for a Healthy California-ABC USD
• Newport Mesa Unified School District - Network for a Healthy California
• North Coast Opportunities, Community Action
• North County Health Services WIC Program
• Northeast Valley Health Corporation
• Northeastern Rural Health WIC Program
• Oakland Based Urban Gardens
• Oakland Leaf
• Oakland Unified School District
• Orange County Planned Parenthood WIC Program
• Outrider Ministries
• Palomar Pomerado Home Health
• Pasture Pictures
• People's Grocery
• Placer Food Bank
• Planting Justice
• Plumas Rural Services WIC Program
• Private Lactation Consulting, Contra Costa
• Psi Chi, San Jose State University
• Public Health Foundation WIC Program
• Riverside County Community Health Agency Lactation Services
• Sacramento ACHIEVE
• San Benito Health Foundation
• San Diego American Red Cross WIC Program
• San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition
• San Diego State University Research Foundation WIC
• San Francisco Breastfeeding promotion Coalition
• San Francisco Department of Public Health
• San Francisco WIC Program
• San Mateo County WIC Program
• San Ysidro Health Center WIC Program Imperial Beach Office
• Santa Clara County Public Health Department WIC Program
• Santa Clara County WIC Program
• Santa Clara County WIC Program
• Save Mart Supermarkets
• Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County
• Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency
• Siskiyou County Public Health
• Siskiyou County WIC Program
• Slow Food Urban San Diego
• Solano County WIC Program
• South Los Angeles Health Projects
• Southern California Public Health Association (SCPHA)
• St. Joseph Health System
• Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles (SEE-LA)
• Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento
• The Childbirth Connection, LLC
• The Peace and Justice Community of St. Cross Episcopal Church, Hermosa Beach
• The Resource Connection - Amador
• The Sisters of the Holy Family, Fremont
• Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, Inc. WIC Program
• Tulare County WIC Program
• Ubuntu Green
• UCLA High Risk Infant Follow-up Program
• United Way Silicon Valley
• Urban and Environmental Policy Institute
• Valley Presbyterian Hospital
• Ventura County Public Health WIC Program
• WalkSanDiego
• Watts Healthcare Corporation WIC Program
• Well-Being Center of Novato
• Yolo County Health Department

• Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado
• Colorado Children's Campaign
• Colorado PTA
• Colorado School Nutrition Association
• Food Bank for Larimer County
• LiveWell Colorado
• Lutheran Advocacy Ministry - Colorado
• Mesa County WIC Agency
• Moms for Kids
• Pueblo City-County Health Department
• Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
• Summit Prevention Alliance
• Weld Food Bank
• Women of Reform Judaism – Colorado

• Connecticut Association for Human Services
• Connecticut Dietetic Association
• Connecticut Food Association
• Connecticut Food Bank
• Connecticut Parent Teacher Student Association
• Fairfield County WIC Program
• Foodshare, Inc.
• Justice and Peace Committee of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery/West Hartford
• The Collaborative Center for Justice, Hartford
• Uncas Health District

• Delaware Dietetic Association
• Delaware PTA
• Delaware School Nurse Association
• Delaware School Nutrition Association

• D.C. Farm to School Network
• D.C. WIC State Agency
• United Way National Capital Area

• All Faiths Food Bank
• Bay Area Food Bank
• Better School Food Sarasota
• Charity Express Inc.
• Christ Fellowship Church
• City of North Miami ACHIEVE
• CROS Ministries
• Damayan Garden Project
• Evangelical Christian Bible Ministries International, Inc.
• Feeding South Florida
• First Baptist Church of Lantana
• Florida Association of Food Banks
• Florida Association of School Nurses
• Florida Dietetic Association
• Florida PTA
• Florida Public Health Foundation
• Florida Tomato Exchange
• Harry Chapin Food Bank
• Miami Dietetic Association
• OSAY Child Development Center
• Palm Beach County Community Food Alliance
• Palm Beach Harvest Inc.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
• Second Harvest North Florida
• The Peace & Justice Committee of the Florida Benedictine Sisters
• Treasure Coast Food Bank

• America Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia
• Cobb & Douglas Public Health
• Cotillion of the South
• Feeding the Valley, Inc.
• Georgia Dietetic Association
• Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
• Georgia Organics
• Georgia PTA
• Georgia Public Health Association
• Georgia School Nutrition Association
• Health Matters
• Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta
• Lithonia WIC Program
• Piedmont Park Conservancy
• Queen of Hearts Foundation
• Second Harvest of South Georgia, Inc.
• Southside Medical Center WIC/Nutrition Department
• The Holistic Chamber of Commerce Atlanta
• The Youth Becoming Healthy Project, Inc.
• Voices for Georgia's Children

• Department of Public Health & Social Services, Bureau of Nutrition Services, WIC Program

• Bay Clinic Inc.
• Bay Clinic WIC Program
• Blueprint for Change
• Good Beginnings Alliance
• Hawaii Dietetic Association
• Hawaii Farmers Union
• Hawaii Island Rural Health Association
• Kau Rural Health Community Association Inc.
• Lanai Community Health Center
• Malama I Ke Ola Health Center WIC Program
• Rural Maui
• Wahiawa WIC Program
• Waimanalo Health Center
• Waimanalo Market

“‘In the middle of this economic chaos,’ [Miller] said, ‘this president knows we can’t compete in a world economy unless we modernize some of our basic systems.’”

…

“Creating a new standard educational model should incorporate the way that young people share information, he said.

“‘All of you create a huge amount of content every day, you teach your peers how to use that new phone, that new program,’ he said. ‘How do we call on people to participate in the educational process who are your peers?’”

“‘About half the people that show up for community college, they don’t show up for the second year,’ Miller said. ‘They don’t get the certificate they’re after, they don’t get the career opportunity, they don’t get the academic degree they were after and they may end up in debt.’

“Miller spoke in detail about recent reforms to the student loan industry. Subsidies worth $60 billion will be diverted over ten years from banks, which manage loans, to students in the form of grants and federal loans.

“The new law, he explained, also rewards those pursuing public service jobs. ‘If you get in the public health and education sectors, after ten years your loans go away,’ he said, ‘because you’re giving something back.’”

“An increasing number of students locally and nationally have been receiving financial aid through the Federal Pell Grant Program.

“In Clark County, the recipients of the need-based grant increased more than 5,500 students between academic year 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Education. In the same time period, the grant disbursement increased by $26.9 million.”

“According to recent figures issued by the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, the number of Pell Grant recipients in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District rose 35 percent last year. The district, which includes all of Durham and Orange counties and parts of Wake and Chatham, had 27,471 students who qualified for the aid during the 2009-10 academic year, an increase of 7,145 over the year before.”

…

“Adding to the increase is that under a new student-loan bill signed by President Barack Obama in March, the Pell's Grant's eligibility criteria have changed, and that's made it a little easier to qualify than in the past, Ort and Rome both said.

“Equally important is that the Pell Grant is now authorized for summer school, for the first time.”

“Not since the explosive years of the civil rights movement and the hard-fought debut of government-supported health care for the elderly and poor have so many big things -- love them or hate them -- been done so quickly.

“Gridlock? It may feel that way. But that's not the story of the 111th Congress -- not the story history will remember.”

"No child should have to learn on an empty stomach.  Nearly 65 years ago, America made protecting the health of our children a national priority by developing the National School Lunch Program.  This groundbreaking program has prevented hunger and promoted education by enabling our young people to have access to safe, balanced, and affordable meals at school.  It has also supported their development, encouraged their learning capacity, and instilled life-long healthy habits.  This year, during National School Lunch Week, we recognize the vital importance of this historic program, and we recommit to serving meals that will contribute to the health and well-being of a new generation."

...

"NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 10 through October 16, 2010, as National School Lunch Week.  I call upon all Americans to join the dedicated individuals who administer the National School Lunch Program in appropriate activities that support the health and well-being of our Nation's children."

“A national campaign aimed at curtailing the number of brain injuries suffered by student athletes was introduced Monday at Pinole Valley High School, where a concussion awareness poster was unveiled at a news conference held by federal officials and representatives of the National Football League.

“‘There was a time when athletes who left the field because of a concussion were told to suck it up and go back out and play,’ said Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez. Instead, he said, athletes should be told, ‘When in doubt, sit it out.’

“The poster being distributed by the federal Centers for Disease Control is similar to one now found in NFL locker rooms and describes possible symptoms on brain injuries that could be worsened if not diagnosed.”

“Miller has introduced legislation that would set safety standards for public schools in dealing with concussions. This after hearing horror stories from student athletes during a Congressional hearing.

“‘In one case, a student is fully disabled because of an injury in a softball game with multiple concussions [which were] improperly diagnosed,’ says Miller.

“The stories were enough to move Miller to carry the ball on the danger of concussions.”

“In order to restore America's economic competitiveness and prosperity, the Obama administration has set a goal of once again having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by the year 2020 -- 10 short years away. Community colleges are central to this effort, and the president has specifically called on community colleges to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in that time. Our challenge is to help these institutions meet the pressing education and job training needs of millions of students working to achieve the American dream. Students just like the ones in my classroom, whose lives are changed by the confidence and opportunity they gain from a quality education.”

…

“In the coming months, we will announce the first $500 million of a $2 billion, four-year investment in community colleges authorized by Congress and signed into law on March 30. This federal investment will support new state-of-the-art education, training and skills development programs to help out-of-work Americans re-enter the job market with increased knowledge and more marketable skills. The funds will enable community colleges to work with universities, business, government and unions to develop career pathways leading to more college graduates ready for the workforce as our economy recovers. In addition, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Obama administration has invested billions of dollars specifically in community colleges.”

“An estimated 70,000 UC undergraduates are receiving federal Pell grants, which typically are awarded to students with family incomes below $50,000. According to the report, that is the largest number in UC history and represents 39% of its undergraduates, up from 35% last year.”

“‘I'm from a low-income family and this makes me want to go to college even more,’ said Grant High junior Alana Gerasimchuk. ‘It makes me confident that I can go to UC Berkeley.’

“Former Grant High student CrystalKay Fairrington said it's important for kids in Del Paso Heights and other communities to know there are opportunities out there. Fairrington, who also spoke at the pep rally, attends UC Berkeley.

‘Students think it's beyond their reach, and it's not,” she said.” 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

“The family of a pre-schooler filed a lawsuit against the Mona Shores School District for restraining the disabled child in a chair for the entire school day for one semester, according to the suit.

“Ethan Holden was a special ed student at Ross Park Elementary School, documents say. His mother came to a class Christmas party in December 2008 and saw her son strapped in a chair, his feet lifted off the ground.

“She later learned this is how Ethan spent his days, the lawsuit says. Alan and Nichole Holden claim they were never informed of their son's restraint. Ethan has a speech problem and couldn't communicate easily with his teachers and other staff.

“The child had fallen over while strapped in the chair as he tried to escape, according to the suit, filed in July in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.”

“The House Education and Labor Committee's hearing came after news last week about the first active college football player known to have a debilitating condition usually seen in retired or aging athletes who've suffered repeated head injuries.

“Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy revealed that a 21-year-old defensive lineman, Owen Thomas, had mild stages of a type of brain damage called chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

“Thomas, a captain of the University of Pennsylvania football team and a student at the Wharton School of Business, hung himself in his room in April.

 “Owen Thomas, 21, was found to have mild stages of a type of brain damage called chronic traumatic encephalopathyCTE, which is a type of brain damage, has been more typically seen in older former athletes and can cause neurobehavioral disorders and bizarre behavior, including suicide. It is impossible to determine whether Thomas' brain condition and suicide were linked.

“‘The only possible explanation we can see for the presence of CTE is that Owen started to play football at the age of 9,’ his mother, Rev. Katherine Brearley of Allentown, Pennsylvania, said in her testimony at the hearing.”

“That point was brought home by Alison Conca-Cheng, a 17-year-old high school soccer player and honors student from Ellicott City, Md., who suffered a concussion when she collided with a teammate's head in a practice game.

“‘I had tunnel vision,’ she told the committee. ‘Then I had severe balance problems and lingering headaches. I was dazed and confused.’

“Conca-Cheng had taken a pre-season computerized baseline concussion test, which she was required to repeat after the injury. In two attempts, she failed to match her pre-injury scores on tests of short-term memory and reading and was kept out of practice for two weeks.”

• Provide student athletes with information about how to prevent and manage concussions by requiring school districts to develop and implement a standard, community-based plan for concussion safety and management, as well as conduct outreach to parents and students about concussion and the plan.

• Inform and empower student athletes, parents and school personnel about concussions by requiring schools to post information about concussions in a way that is publicly visible within the school and on the school website.
   
• Support students’ health and recovery by implementing “when in doubt, sit it out” policies that require a student suspected of sustaining a concussion during a school-sponsored athletic activity to be removed from participation, prohibited from returning to play that day and evaluated by a health care professional. Parents must also be notified. 
   
• Prevent prolonged recovery by making sure students recovering from concussions have the supports they need as they return to athletic and academic activities in school.
  

“More and more children and teenagers are suffering traumatic brain injuries while playing basketball, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

“Researchers examined emergency room visits of people under the age of 20 who were treated for basketball related injuries between 1997 and 2007 and found the number of traumatic brain injuries shot up  by 70%.

“Overall the proportion for traumatic brain injury doubled for boys and tripled for girls, said senior study author Dr. Laura B. McKenzie.

“Coaches, athletes and parents need to understand what can cause traumatic brain injuries and learn to recognize a possible concussion  according to McKenzie.”

“Iowa school districts will split a pot of $96.5 million in federal funding intended to save or create education jobs.

“Districts will receive monthly payments throughout the 2010-11 fiscal year starting in September or October based on enrollment. In Northeast Iowa, that means a total of $2.35 million for Waterloo Community Schools, $885,245 for Cedar Falls Schools, $386,161 for Waverly-Shell Rock, $300,669 for Independence and $134,235 for Hudson.”

“More Austin Public School teachers will keep their jobs thanks to an estimated $1 million dollars in federal aid from the Education Jobs Fund.”

…

“The incoming aid helps ease the district’s projected $1 to 1.5 million deficit for next year, acting as an insurance against possible job cuts in the immediate future.”

1. 4.25%
2. 4.5%
3. 5.5%
4. 6.25%

“…with increased focus on school reform under this administration, it seems some companies with little or no expertise in education are purporting to be experts in school turnaround to try and take advantage of available federal money. Companies who are hired to help turn around schools as partners should have the best expertise and the best qualifications. I plan to hold a hearing and use the committee’s oversight authority to investigate the process of hiring providers to help turn around schools.”

“There are 5,000 chronically low-performing schools in this country doing a disservice to
hundreds of thousands of students.

“Two thousand high schools produce 70 percent of our nation’s dropouts.”

“With the Obama administration pouring billions into its nationwide campaign to overhaul failing schools, dozens of companies with little or no experience are portraying themselves as school-turnaround experts as they compete for the money.”

…

“Many of the new companies seem unprepared for the challenge of making over a public school, yet neither the federal government nor many state governments are organized to offer effective oversight, said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, a nonprofit group in Washington.”

“With days to go before classes begin, the Broward County School Board gave the OK Tuesday for its superintendent to start recalling nearly 100 laid-off teachers and other teachers whose work has been curtailed.

“Broward schools will receive about $54 million to rehire teachers and other employees, thanks to a new federal stimulus package with $10 billion earmarked for education jobs.”

“We’ve taken important steps to ensure the stability of the student loan programs, to make college more affordable and help families and students manage their student loan debt.

“First, we increased the efficiency of the loan program so that we have more to invest in our students, and we increased the reliability of the programs so that students and families are never again left wondering where to turn in a difficult economy.

“Earlier this year, as part of the historic health care legislation, we made the single largest investment in federal student aid ever and transformed the way student loans programs operate.

“With President Obama’s direction we made the common-sense decision to stop wasting taxpayer money on subsidies to big banks and instead use that money to invest directly in students.

“By making the switch to direct lending, we saved $61 million that we gave directly back to the student. We raised the Pell grant scholarship, we made it easier for borrowers to repay their loans, regardless of their income, and we invested in community colleges and historically black colleges and universities. Most significantly, we made all of these investments in students and our economic future at no cost to taxpayers.

“Second, too often recent graduates look beyond careers in public service because they worry they will not be able to afford to pay back their loans. Recognizing this struggle, we made it easier for students to consider careers in public service.

“Under a program passed in 2007 as part of sweeping college affordability legislation, college graduates who enter into public service careers, such as teachers, public defenders and prosecutors, are eligible for complete loan forgiveness after 10 years of qualifying public service and loan payments. At a time when Americans’ interest in public service jobs is surging, this program is especially helpful.

“Third, we instituted a means for students to repay their loans that caps borrowers’ monthly loan payments at just 15% of their discretionary income. After 25 years in the program, borrowers’ debts will be completely forgiven.”

“Take, for example, a recent graduate with $30,000 in federal student loans and a starting salary of $25,000. Under this repayment program, this borrower’s monthly loan payment would be $110--one-third of the $345 monthly payment under a standard plan.

“Starting in 2014 new borrowers who are eligible for this repayment program will be able to cap their monthly loan payments at just 10% of their discretionary income. Borrowers who responsibly make their monthly payments will see their remaining balance forgiven after 20 years of repayment.”

“The bill would send Missouri $292 million for Medicaid and $189.7 million to help cash-strapped schools rehire staff or prevent future layoffs. The education funding will save 3,000 jobs statewide and more than 1,200 in the 4th, 7th and 8th congressional districts. The Medicaid funding would help states meet other budget needs, such as keeping thousands of police officers, nurses and other public workers employed.”

“Montana will receive $38 million in Medicaid funding and $30.7 million to avoid layoffs, mostly of K-12 teachers, from the bill. The U.S. Education Department estimates that the money will save about 700 teachers' jobs in Montana.”

“Valley schools may be able to rehire teachers and shrink the size of classes when school starts now that a $26 billion jobs bill has become law.

“‘I guess there is such a thing as Christmas in August,’ said Ricardo Medina, superintendent of Coachella Valley Unified School District.”

“What we’re talking about is creating jobs for teachers, for firemen, for police, for nurses – the people that hold our public spaces together in this country. And we should not have our children lose a year’s education because the Republicans refuse to create jobs.

“And you know what they call teachers and firemen and nurses and policemen with jobs? You know what small businesses call them? They call them customers.”

This morning Chairman Miller appeared on MSNBC to explain why the House is returning from its 6-week district work period to vote on this important piece of legislation.

Based on analysis from the Council of Economic Advisors of projected State budget shortfalls for FY 2011, we estimated that as many as 100,000 to 300,000 education jobs could be at risk across the country in the upcoming school year.

We know States and districts are working hard to find ways to minimize job losses and keep cuts away from classrooms, but some are making cuts that we know will have an impact on kids. Furlough days, cutting after school programs, and cutting or reducing summer school are some of the tough choices being made when we know we need to be expanding learning time.

We also know these job losses would ripple through the wider economy and undercut ongoing efforts to create jobs.

That is why the House will take a rare August vote to pass this legislation and send it to President Obama for his signature prior to the start of the new school year.

“We owe it to the children who aren't reaching their potential because they're not getting the nutrition they need during the day. We owe it to the parents who are working to keep their families healthy and looking for a little support along the way. We owe it to the schools that are trying to make progress but don't have the resources they need. And we owe it to our country -- because our prosperity depends on the health and vitality of the next generation.”

“Nearly 17 million American children struggle against hunger. For these children, school food programs are sometimes the only access they have to food. At the same time, one in three American kids is overweight or suffering from childhood obesity, because their families simply cannot afford fresh, nutritious foods. School food systems are one of the few ways we have to provide good nutrition to all of our kids.

…

“Child hunger and malnutrition in the world's wealthiest nation is morally unacceptable. The U.S. economy loses at least $28 billion per year due to poor school performance and long-term health care spending due to poor child nutrition. We can pay now or pay a much greater price in every sense later.”

“The law comes in response to a funding disparity which emerged as a result of last year’s stimulus package, leaving some independent living centers eligible for far more money in future years, while other centers would be underfunded.

“The legislation signed by Obama this week closes the gap, ensuring that stimulus dollars won’t compromise future funding of the centers.”

“In many areas, independent living centers are the primary provider of services in a community for people with disabilities. Staff at these centers work to empower people with disabilities with choices and the opportunities to help themselves live more independent lives.”

“Funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will contribute more than $1.3 million in additional federal support in providing vital services to Bergen County families, according to the Bergen County Community Action Partnership (BCCAP). The stimulus funds have allowed for the expansion of both Head Start to 40 additional families and the inception of Early Head Start for 72 families.”

"This holistic program includes education, health, mental health, social services, and nutrition services for children from income eligible families. Also, additional special services are provided for children with disabilities. We focus on the total development of the child, while creating a more stable family environment."

UPDATE: The breakfast has concluded. Visit their website for the archive of the event.

Join Chairman Miller, Randi Weingarten, Tim Daly, Lisa Guernsey and Carmel Martin for a lively discussion about education and education policy in America.

The National Journal's website says: 

There is consensus in the education sector that the American school system must transition from one designed around an agrarian and industrial society to one that meets the demands of the knowledge economy. The Obama administration has poured an unprecedented amount of money—upwards of $100 billion—toward accomplishing that goal. How far have we come and how much further do we need to go? As a means of addressing this question, we will take stock of the administration's key education initiatives as well as state-led efforts and ultimately, how the weakened economy has affected these programs. Race to the Top, reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and Common Core, among other topics, will be examined.

“From journalists and educators to politicians and parents -- there is a growing sense that a quiet revolution is underway in our homes and schools, classrooms and communities.”

“With a budget of just $5 billion dollars -- less than one percent of total education spending in America -- this minor provision in the Recovery Act has unleashed an avalanche of pent-up education reform activity at the state and local level.

“Forty-eight states voluntarily collaborated to raise the bar and create common college and career-ready standards -- solving the single biggest drawback of NCLB -- without a federal mandate or a federal dollar. So far, 27 states have adopted those standards. Even Massachusetts -- universally viewed with the highest standards in the country -- voted unanimously to adopt last week.”

“We wrote the ADA to ensure America works for all Americans. The law broke down barriers, prohibited discrimination, promoted access and provided basic civil rights to people with disabilities. Over the past 20 years, people with disabilities have been able to access educational opportunities and employment.  They’ve been able to use buildings, transportation, and communities that once presented huge obstacles.”

“It is a brutal job market for many workers, but even more so for those with disabilities, who can struggle in the best of times. For them, the unemployment rate is now 14.4 percent -- 50 percent higher than it is for other workers, and the jobs gap is larger still because so many are not counted as being in the workforce.”

“It’s time for us to look to the future, to honor the successes of the past and build upon them to continue to increase the options of people with disabilities. We still have a long way to go to improve educational outcomes for all students, especially students with disabilities and to improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.”

"A gallon of milk is $3-something. A bottle of orange soda is 89 cents…Do the math."

“‘Higher reimbursement rates would mean more food choices,’ he said. ‘It would allow us to possibly go with more fresh fruits and vegetables.’”

 “Hunger in America is complicated. It's not just getting enough food, but getting the right food — and making the right choices.”

• 9 percent
• 16 percent
• 27 percent
• 65 percent
  

“I congratulate Chairman Miller and the House Education and Labor Committee on the successful bipartisan passage of a child nutrition reauthorization bill out of the Committee today. This important legislation will combat hunger and provide millions of schoolchildren with access to healthier meals, a critical step in the battle against childhood obesity. I urge both the House and Senate to take their child nutrition bills to the floor and pass them without delay. The President looks forward to signing a final bill this year, so that we can make significant progress in improving the nutrition and health of children across our nation.”

“At the YWCA in downtown Sioux Falls on Wednesday, primarily elementary-aged boys and girls filed through a serving line while workers filled their trays with a sloppy joe sandwich, green beans, pineapple and milk. On average, the agency dishes out 220 lunches and 110 breakfasts each weekday, said Karla Johnson, director of child care services.

“‘There's no question in my mind that this program is really helping those children and their families. And we're seeing more of that,’ she said.”

“Workers at the Northwest Baltimore center say at least half the students have come to depend on the sponsored meals to tide them over for the evening, food that serves as a substitute for the free lunches the children receive during the school year.

“With school out, state and federal officials say about 25 percent of the 328,000 low-income Maryland children who received free school meals during the year got them last summer. The numbers, however, are on the rise.”

• 4C Council of Santa Clara County
• 9to5, National Association of Working Women
• Action for Children North Carolina
• Action for Healthy Kids
  
• Advocates for Better Children’s Diets
• Advocates for Children and Youth, Maryland
  
• Afterschool Alliance
• Alberts Organics
• America SCORES
  
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Association for Health Education
  
• American Beverage Association
• American College of Preventive Medicine
• American Commodity Distribution Association
• American Dental Association
  
• American Diabetes Association
• American Dietetic Association
• American Farmland Trust
  
• American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations, AFL-CIO
  
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
  
• American Heart Association
• American Humane Association
  
• American Public Health Association
• American Rivers
  
• American School Health Association
• American Society of Bariatic Physicians
• Association of Schools of Public Health
• Association of State & Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors
• Association of State Nutrition Network Administrators
• Audubon California
• Audubon Dakotas
  
• BJ Enterprises
  
• B.J. Jordan Child Care Programs
  
• Bread for the World
• California Association of Food Banks
• Alameda County Community Food Bank
  
• Food Bank at Contra Costa and Solano Counties
• Redwood Empire Food Bank
• San Francisco Food Bank
• California Association of Nutrition & Activity Programs C-A-N –Act
  
• California Center for Public Health Advocacy
• California Climate and Agriculture Network
• California Farmers Union
  
• California Food Policy Advocates
• Camp Fire USA
  
• Campaign for Better Nutrition
  
• Campaign to End Obesity
• Catholic Charities USA
  
• CDI/CDC-Choices for Children
• Center for Rural Affairs
• Center for Environmental Health (CA)
  
• Center for Science in the Public Interest 
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Central Valley Children's Services Network, Child Care Food Program
• Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage
  
• Child & Family Resources, Inc.
• Child Care Council
  
• Child Care Development Services, Inc.
  
• Child Care Food Program Roundtable
  
• Child Nutrition Initiative
• Child Nutrition Program of Southern California
• Child Welfare League of America
  
• Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
• Children First for Oregon
• Children Now
  
• Children’s Alliance
• Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire
  
• Children’s Campaign, Inc.
  
• Children’s Council of San Francisco
• Children’s Defense Fund
• Church Women United of New York
  
• Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York, Inc.
  
• Coalition on Human Needs
• Community Action Partnership
• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CA)
  
• Community Bridges Child & Adult Care Food Program
• Community CROPS (NE)
  
• Community Food Security Coalition
• Community Health Partnership: Oregon’s Public Health Institute
  
• Concord Child Care Center
• Connecticut Farmland Trust
• Connecticut Forest and Parks Association
• Conservation Law Foundation
  
• Consumer Federation of America
• Contra Costa Child Care Council
• Defenders of Wildlife
  
• Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
• Directors of Health Promotion and Education
  
• Early Care and Education Consortium
• Emergency Food Bank of Stockton/San Joaquin
• Environmental Defense Fund
• Environmental Working Group
  
• Escondido Community Child Development Center
  
• Family Resource & Referral Center
• Farm Aid
  
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island
  
• Feeding America
• First Focus Campaign for Children
• Fixing School Food Alliance Monterey Bay
• Food Bank for Monterey County
• Food for People
  
• Food Lifeline
  
• Food Marketing Institute
• Food Research & Action Center
• FoodLink for Tulare County, Inc.
• Foodways Alliance (AZ)
  
• FRAMAX, CACFP Sponsor
• Go For Health! Collaborative of Santa Cruz County
• Hunger Action Los Angeles
  
• ICNA Relief
• ICNA Council for Social Justice
  
• Inter-Faith Ministries
• Interfaith Council of Amador
  
• International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, AFL-CIO, CLC
  
• International Institute of Los Angeles
• International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America, (UAW)
• Islamic Circle of North America
• Izaak Walton League of America
  
• J.C. Family Home Association
  
• Jewish Council for Public Affairs
• Kansas Action for Children
• Land Stewardship Program
• Land Trust Alliance
  
• Lawyers Helping Hungry Children
  
• Lean & Green Kids
• Learning Care Group, Inc.
  
• Leopold Group, Iowa Sierra Club
  
• Louisiana Upgrading Nutrition for Children's Health (LUNCH Program)
  
• Love Little Children, Inc.
• Maine Children’s Alliance
  
• Mayor Bloomberg, New York
  
• MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
• Meredith Matthews East Madison YMCA
  
• Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
• Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (WI)
  
• Michigan Land Use Institute
• Michigan’s Children
• Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
  
• Minute Menu Systems
• Mission: Readiness
  
• Montana Dietetic Association
• Montana Farmers Union
  
• Monterey County Office of Education Food & Nutrition Services
• Montgomery Countryside Alliance (MD)
• Montgomery County Community Action Development Commission (PA)
• Mount Adams Resource Stewards (WA)
  
• National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
• National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• National Association of Conservation Districts
  
• National Association of County and City Health Officials
  
• National Association of School Nurses
• National Association of Sport & Physical Education
• National Audubon Society
• National Catholic Rural Life Conference
• National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
  
• National Center for Appropriate Technology
  
• National Consumers League
• National Council of Jewish Women
• National Council of La Raza
  
• National Family Farm Coalition
  
• National Farm to School Network
  
• National Farmers Union
  
• National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
  
• National Parent Teacher Association
• National Research Center for Women & Families
  
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• National Wildlife Federation
  
• National WIC Association
  
• National Women’s Law Center
• Natural Resources Defense Council
  
• Nemours
• New England Farmers Union
• New England Small Farm Institute
  
• New Mexico Voices for Children
  
• New York Coalition for Healthy School Food
  
• New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance
• North Dakota Dietetic Association
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – Connecticut
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – Massachusetts
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – New Hampshire
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – New Jersey
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – New York
• Northeast Organic Farming Association – Vermont
  
• Northern New Mexico Stockman’s Association
  
• Northwest Harvest
• Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (CA)
  
• Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association
• Ohio Farmers Union
• Oklahoma Composting Council
  
• Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition
  
• Oklahoma Institute For Child Advocacy
  
• Options Child Care Agency
  
• Oregon Hunger Task Force
• Organic Farming Research Foundation
  
• Partners for a Healthy Nevada
  
• Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon
  
• Partners for Sustainable Pollination
  
• PATCH, Hawaii
  
• Pennypack Farm and Education Center (PA)
• Pesticide Watch Education Fund (CA)
  
• PHFE/Angels Child Care Food Program
• Pollinator Partnership
• Prairie Rivers Network
  
• Prevention Institute
  
• Public Health Foundation Enterprises – WIC
  
• REAP Food Group (WI)
  
• RESULTS/RESULTS Educational Fund
• Revolution Foods
• River City Food Bank
  
• Roots of Change
  
• Sacramento Hunger Coalition
  
• St. Joseph’s Family Center
• St. Mary’s Center
  
• Salt Lake Community Action Program
  
• Save the Children
  
• School Nutrition Association
• School’s Out of Washington
  
• Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy
  
• Seacoast Eat Local (NH)
  
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties
  
• Second Harvest Food Bank, Santa Cruz County
• Service Employees International Union
• Shape Up America!
  
• Share our Strength
• Shasta County Office of Education
  
• Society for Nutrition Education
• Sodexo Foundation
• South Carolina Wildlife Federation
  
• South Dakota Voices for Children
  
• Soyfoods Association of North America
  
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture (NY)
  
• Sun-Maid Growers of California
• Sunnyvale Community Services
  
• Sustainable Northwest
  
• The Alliance to End Hunger
• The Cherokee Nation
• The Nature Conservancy
  
• The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
  
• The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (MT)
  
• Trust for America’s Health
  
• U.S. Apple Association
• Union of Concerned Scientists
  
• Union Station Homeless Services
  
• United Fresh Produce Association
• United Way Silicon Valley
  
• Utah Farmers Union
  
• Utahns Against Hunger
• Virginia Association for Biological Farming
  
• Voice for Utah Children
  
• Voices For America’s Children
• Voices for Georgia’s Children
  
• Voices for Illinois Children
  
• Wallace Center at Winrock International
• Washington Child Nutrition Reauthorization Coalition
• Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network
  
• Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium
• WhyHunger
  
• Wild Friends Program (NM)
  
• Wisconsin Council on Children and Families 
• World Wildlife Fund
• Women, Food and Agriculture Network
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
  
• Your Care Plan

• Invest the bill’s savings to make college affordable and help more Americans graduate
• Provide reliable, affordable, high-quality Federal student loans for all families
• Meet Pay-As-You-Go fiscally responsible principles and reduce the deficit

"We now have the opportunity to really take that rigid system and make a trade-in, if you will, of some additional flexibility at the local level for outcomes, for results. The Secretary [of Education] has made that clear, the President has made that clear, and I think we've made that clear in the series of hearings that we have held. We'd really like now to put more emphasis on better teachers, more emphasis on better leadership, more emphasis on the use of those resources and the flexible use of those resources, and really put teaching and learning and leadership back into the classroom, back into the local systems, and then stand back and hold them accountable for those--for those results, and we're getting a lot of encouragement as we've held our hearings."

"And what we tried to address ... was to see whether or not we could bring down the cost of college for families with an increase in the Pell Grant, by lowering the interest rates on student loans over the next couple of years, and then make it easier for the students and the families to manage that debt that they're required to take out to get the degree that they desire. And one of the ways we do that is we have--we let them have an income determinant payment system. How much you pay every month depends upon how much you're making. So, if you start a career with a low entry wage, you can still have that career and you can manage your payments.

"If you go into public service or you work for a non-profit, if you want to become a nurse, a doctor, a teacher, a prosecutor, a public defender and you're working for a public agency, in ten years, your loans go away, and you never have to pay more than 10--10 percent of your discretionary income to pay that loan back. All of a sudden, people can envision careers that otherwise they couldn't have, where they may really wanted to be a teacher, to be a health nurse, to be a physician's assistant, but they couldn't see how they could balance the pay and the education. We need those people, and so this is really in the public interest.

"We also--when we moved to the direct loan programs, it required the companies bring jobs back to America because they're now managing federal assets when they manage the repayment of these loans, and that requires people--that it be done here in America."

"There is--clearly, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, you have a big interest in children. It's about our children, our neighbor's children, our constituents' children, it's about the country, and that passion is on both sides of the aisle, certainly in our Committee."