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Education

  • Congresswoman McCarthy believes that education is an investment in our nation’s future that we cannot afford not to make.
  • We can do everything we can in order to strengthen the economy and create well-paying jobs, but if our workforce isn’t prepared to take those jobs, we will never be able to compete in the global marketplace.
  • Congresswoman McCarthy believes that whether it’s pre-kindergarten programs that lay the foundation for a life of learning, or athletic and health programs in high schools, or federal assistance for college, or supporting career colleges that offer a viable alternative for millions of students, education is a priority that can only make our nation and our economy stronger.

Congresswoman McCarthy continues to serve on the Committee on Education and the Workforce where she works to provide educational opportunities for all Americans and make sure that children have a safe, healthy learning environment.  Congresswoman McCarthy believes our nation’s security begins with our children’s education, and that we must begin meeting children’s educational needs from infancy. 

Chairing The Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee

As chairwoman, Congresswoman McCarthy has focused on oversight and best practices for existing programs. She held her first hearing on volunteer service, which includes programs such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America. In March, 2009, Congresswoman McCarthy passed the first volunteer service reauthorization bill in 10 years, the bipartisan Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (“GIVE”) Act out of Committee. It was subsequently renamed the Edward Kennedy Serve America Act and was signed into law by President Obama on April 21, 2009.  She has also held hearings on childhood obesity and gang violence.  Other issues on the HFC agenda are:

Ø  improving the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention programs,

Ø  identifying innovative practices to help increase access to child nutrition programs and to healthier food for our children,

Ø  how to best help runaway and homeless youth and missing and exploited children,

Ø  exploring concerns with senior long-term care facilities and options such as Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs),

Ø  evaluate what changes need to be made with the Child Abuse and Prevention and Treatment Act.

 

Protecting and Encouraging Higher Education

Congresswoman McCarthy believes every student who can get into a college, university, or trade school should be given the opportunity to earn a degree, regardless of their financial situation.   Higher education helps to provide all our citizens an opportunity to achieve the American Dream, and can place everyone, regardless of their background, on a level playing field. Congresswoman McCarthy believes higher education is one of the most important investments our country can make.  A world class higher education system that is accessible to all will allow America to keep its competitive advantage in the 21stCentury economy.

Congresswoman McCarthy was pleased to support passage in the House of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which passed in the 111thCongress. This historic legislation, the largest investment in college aid in history, will transform the way our student loan programs operate and ensure that Americans have access to affordable, quality education opportunities to help make our economy strong and competitive again.  The legislation is fully paid for, and will in fact result in $10 billion of deficit reduction. Rep. McCarthy was instrumental in securing a number of provisions that would benefit educational institutions and help our students to be successful.  The legislation includes funding for modernization, renovation, and repair projects that create healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient teaching and learning climates.  Additionally, this bill will increase access for more students to attend college, particularly low-income and minority students, invest in childcare facilities, and make some technical changes that will allow all schools to more easily move from the FFEL program to the Direct Loan program.  The House also adopted, by a vote of 428-2, an amendment offered by Reps. McCarthy, Himes, and Schwartz to strengthen the financial literacy education components in the bill.

Increasing Access to Student Loans

In recent years, turmoil in the financial industry has made it harder for some lenders to make new federal student loans. Congress responded by enacting the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, which provides the Secretary of Education with additional tools to protect federal student loan access and gives families hit hard by the economy more flexibility when borrowing federal student loans. The bill guides students toward more federally guaranteed loans, which tend to have lower rates, instead of private loans, which tend to be costlier for students and parents. Congresswoman McCarthy was proud to cosponsor this legislation and help move it through the Education and the Workforce Committee and the full House.

Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act

The House passed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), which was signed into law on August 14, 2008.  The HEA sets the funding and guidelines for many educational programs, such as student aid, institution funding, teacher quality and retention, aid to Minority Serving Institutions, as well as many other aspects.  With technology changing the way higher education is delivered and tuition costs skyrocketing, this reauthorization has never been more necessary.

Congresswoman McCarthy had a number of her own provisions inserted into the Higher Education Act. Her top HEA priorities are:

·         Updating federal student financial aid programs to counter skyrocketing college prices

·         Increasing access to higher education

·         Creating measures to hold institutions accountable for educational outcomes

·         Creating new opportunities to make distance learning and other technological advancements more accessible to students of all income levels.

·         Increasing the number of nurses and nurse educators

·         Requiring colleges to notify students of emergencies more quickly

·         Helping more low-income and minority students attend college and earn degrees

·         Furthering our understanding of reading and language process difficulties, including dyslexia

 

Providing Improved Access to Higher Education

Congresswoman McCarthy understands the severe nursing shortage that faces our nation. She was the sponsor of the Nurse Faculty Higher Education Act.  This bipartisan bill created a pilot program to increase the number of graduate nurse faculty to meet the future need for qualified nurses.  It has been included as part of the Higher Education Act.

Congresswoman McCarthy Promotes Student Loan Forgiveness

Congresswoman McCarthy also had the bipartisan Teacher and Nurse Support Act included as part of the Higher Education Act. The bill expands the loan forgiveness programs available for teachers, to include nurses.

High School Reform

Congresswoman McCarthy is devoted to helping our High School students achieve high levels of success and continue into post-secondary education.  To that end, she had her legislation, the Graduation Really Achieves Dreams (GRAD) Act, included as part of the Higher Education Act.  This bill would fund and expand on Project GRAD programs, making them ongoing federal programs.  Expansion of Project GRAD is aimed at increasing the number of low income students who attend college and earn degrees.

Reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act

The Committee on Education and the Workforce is working to close the achievement gap so all children are able to get the skills they need to succeed. In 2002, Democrats helped pass bipartisan legislation, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The Bush administration then bungled early implementation of this law. The law has been severely underfunded. Congresswoman McCarthy will work to narrow the funding gap, ensuring that every child can get the education he or she deserves.  Other areas in addition to funding must also be addressed. 

Congresswoman McCarthy realizes how important it is that English Language Learners are treated fairly.  Current law exempts students who are just learning English for less than a year from taking reading tests.  After that time, those students are to be tested and schools held accountable for their scores.  Congresswoman McCarthy believes we need to look at better ways to test the progress of these children. 

Teacher Quality and Effectiveness

Congresswoman McCarthy believes NCLB must look closely at teacher quality and effectiveness. NCLB allows states to set their own standard for what a highly qualified teacher is, but in all states teachers must possess these minimum requirements: college degree, knowledge of subject matter, state certification/license. New York’s high state certification standards clearly contribute to the quality of our teaching force, as well as to the number of individuals available for teaching.  Certification standards are not as high elsewhere, however, and Congresswoman McCarthy believes we need to consider how to raise the standards without overburdening the teachers.  Another area the Congresswoman has been looking into is how to improve teacher preparation and professional development. There is concern that graduates of teacher education institutions throughout the nation are inadequately prepared to teach to high standards and Congresswoman McCarthy would like to improve upon this. 

Teacher Involvement in Education Reform

Marguerite Izzo, a 5thgrade teacher at Howard T. Herber Middle School in Malverne who was named the 2007 New York Teacher of the Year, visited Congresswoman McCarthy to discuss a very important fact: currently there is no timely feedback on the impact and implications of NCLB being provided by teachers in the classroom. Since NCLB was enacted, Congresswoman McCarthy has gotten a lot of feedback from Washington groups, but not from classroom teachers. She knows that hearing from teachers “on the ground” would be beneficial to Congress by providing a perspective on how NCLB is being interpreted and administered by States.  To that end, Congresswoman McCarthy introduced a bipartisan bill, the Teachers at the Table Act, which calls for a voluntary teacher advisory panel consisting of classroom teachers, to report to Congress on implementation and effect of the law on students and families. 

Childhood Obesity

Another area of concern is childhood obesity and what role, if any, the marketing of low-nutrition foods in our schools has played in this epidemic.  Congresswoman McCarthy has proposed conducting a national study of the amount and types of food marketed in schools.  This type of research is needed because there is limited information on which to base sound policies. Congresswoman McCarthy has also introduced a bipartisan bill, the Food Marketing in Schools Assessment Act, which requires the Secretary to conduct a study on the extent and types of junk food marketed in our nation’s schools.   

School Safety

Congresswoman McCarthy wants to see that parents have more of a role in decisions about their children’s academic career and safety in schools.  No child can learn in an unsafe environment.  Congresswoman McCarthy has introduced the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (“SAVE”) Act.  The SAVE Act calls for better, more consistent reporting of violence in schools, additional funds, and more accountability.  It also eliminates the term “Persistently Dangerous” and replaces it with “safe climate for academic achievement.” She has also proposed strengthening parental involvement and decision-making ability about school safety. 

Early Childhood Education

Financing Child Care Facilities

Congresswoman McCarthy recognizes the importance of making sure young children get an early start on their education.  She has introduced the Child Care Facilities Financing Act, which would provide funding to build and maintain child care facilities.  By allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award competitive grants to experienced non-profit community development organizations, this bill would help providers develop well-designed and appropriately-located facilities that will foster an environment of productive play and staff dedication.