As Michigan continues to struggle with high unemployment, it is critical that our future workers have the skills and education needed to attract new industries and employers to our great state.  Congressman Dingell supports the Obama Administration’s goals to provide a quality education from cradle to career, and believes it is critical that we improve our public school system and ensure that higher education is affordable and accessible to all. Public schools, which educate 90 percent of all American children, are facing serious challenges such as increased enrollment, the need to hire new teachers, aging facilities and changing technology. Further, the increasing costs of college education has driven thousands of students and families into debt, forcing many to choose to enter the workforce earlier rather than obtain a college degree. Congressman Dingell has worked closely with his colleagues to address these issues.

Under the Obama Administration, Congress passed the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which invested considerable funding into our education system. Under ARRA, Michigan received $2.2 billion statewide for special education, programs for at-risk students and filling the state’s education budget deficit. This funding was critical to reforming and improving our education system, ensuring our schools have the financial resources they need and keeping teachers in the classroom. ARRA has also provided Michigan with $10.6 million to institute a State Longitudinal Data System to track the progress of our students, as well as provided $297 million to Michigan for qualified school construction bonds to fund construction, rehabilitation or renovation of public school facilities. Congressman Dingell is well aware that the funding support offered under ARRA is still needed for many schools in Michigan, which is why he has requested an additional $23 billion for education related jobs.  If included in another stimulus legislation, Michigan would receive an estimated $754 million which would save or create 6,100 jobs.

School budget cuts continue to be a huge problem facing our schools. One of the reasons for these state budget cuts is the lack of federal funding for laws like the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The federal government made a deal with the states when Congress passed NCLB in 2001. Congress would set challenging standards, but it would also help the states meet them. The federal government, however, has not come up with its share of the high cost of such a sweeping reform, leaving the states to pick up the tab. 

Currently, NCLB, or as it was previously known, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is operating under a temporary extension. It is expected that during the 111th Congress, the Administration and Congress will work together to review and reauthorize this important legislation. The Obama Administration has laid out their “Blueprint for Reform” for reauthorization of ESEA, which can be found here. Although Congressman Dingell does not serve on the Education and Labor Committee, he will be watching carefully to ensure that the reauthorization legislation addresses the concerns of state and local educators. 

Another focus for Congressman Dingell is expanding access to higher education.  Mr. Dingell has consistently supported increasing the Pell Grant, first in the 2007 College Cost Reduction Act, then in the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, and more recently in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Today’s students are increasingly taking on higher loan debts, working longer hours or in some cases forgoing college altogether. Congressman Dingell believes increasing access to higher education is critical to the development of a highly skilled workforce, which will ensure that America remains competitive in the global marketplace. The current economic crisis only underscores the need to make important investments in our children and young adults to ensure they are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to compete in an increasingly competitive job market.

To achieve the goal of increasing access and making higher education more affordable, Congressman Dingell cosponsored H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. Provisions of this legislation were included in H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which President Barack Obama signed into law on March 30, 2010. This law reforms the student loan system by originating all student loans through the federal Direct Loan program, raising the maximum award for Pell Grants, and saving $61 billion over ten years by cutting wasteful subsidies to private lenders.  The law will help the United States realize President Obama’s goal of producing the most college graduates by 2020 by making college accessible and transforming the way our student loan programs operate.  The law will build a stronger, more competitive American economy for the future. 

The 15th District is home to many wonderful universities and colleges: the University of Michigan, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Concordia University, Eastern Michigan University, Henry Ford Community College, Monroe County Community College, Washtenaw Community College and Wayne County Community College. Given the recent downturn in the economy and the turmoil in the financial markets, Congressman Dingell will continue to work with his colleagues to our colleges and universities have the resources they need to provide our students with a quality education. 

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