WASHINGTON, DC –

With the recent House of Representatives’ passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, U.S. Rep. Michael Honda (CA-15) will reflect on the implications of the stimulus package on education spending at the New Teacher Center’s “Symposium on New Teacher Induction” on February 2, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California.

On the House bill’s recent passage, Rep. Honda noted, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act significantly boosts our country’s capacity to equip each child with the learning environment necessary to be competitive nationally and globally, fighting back efforts at the state level to slash education spending. The Act allows us to provide for students with special needs, increase student aid, grants and work-study, offer education for homeless children and youth, and improve teacher quality.

As California schools are bound to suffer from Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed education cuts, Congress has stepped up to stave off detrimental consequences by including approximately $6 billion in much-needed education support for our state in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This equates to increases in Federal Pell Grants to nearly 750,000 California students, for example. Despite this increase in federal funding, however, the Governor’s state-wide cuts emphasize the importance of the New Teacher Center’s support programs as a critical lifeline for California’s teachers.”

Amidst the unpredictable nature of education funding, programs like the Silicon Valley New Teacher Project, a teacher induction program coordinated by the New Teacher Center, provide consistent support to new teachers as they enter the teaching profession and to advance their skills and knowledge. The New Teacher Center (NTC) is a national resource dedicated to improving student learning by supporting the development of inspired, dedicated and highly qualified teachers. Established in 1998, the NTC supports research, policy and practice related to new teacher induction.