Education

Representative Scott Peters Advocates to Increase Students’ Access to Education

Since coming to Congress, Scott Peters has prioritized expanding all students’ access to early and higher education, particularly by easing students’ financial burden. He has taken multiple initiatives to make college more affordable, improve early childhood education, strengthen science, technology, engineering, and math(STEM) education, increase access for military and veterans, support teachers, and create dynamic and safe schools.

I. COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

Scott has taken action to address the student loan crisis.

• Scott introduced H.R. 4622, the Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act of 2014, which calls on the Secretary of Education to automatically lower all federal student loans to 4 percent.
• Scott introduced H.R. 5399, the Student Loan Repayment Assistance Act of 2014. These bill incentives employers to help repay their employees’ student loans to help speed up the repayment process and lower the burden on students and families.
• Scott Peters became original cosponsor of H.R. 1595, the Student Loan Relief Act of 2013, which would have prevented student loan interest rates from doubling and extended the reduced 3.4% interest rate. He also authored a letter to Speaker Boehner and spoke on the house floor, requesting that the bill be brought to the floor for a vote so that students and families can plan for their financial futures. To highlight how this issue would directly affect our community, he held a press conference with local college and university students and his colleagues, Reps. Susan Davis and Juan Vargas on San Diego Mesa College’s campus.

Scott cosponsored:

• H.R. 532, the Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013, which would make private student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy
• H. R. 1527, the Student Loan Interest Deduction Act of 2013, that increases the maximum tax deduction for interest paid on any qualified education loan from $2,500 to $5,000.
• H.R. 2349, the Get Relief from Academic Debt Act of 2013 that would allow borrowers of Direct Stafford Loans to extend the period before they must begin to repay loans from six months to one year.
• H.R. 2020, the Truth-In-Tuition Act, requiring schools to present each incoming class of students with a multi-year tuition and fee schedule to better prepare students for tuition payments.

II. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

• Scott cosponsored H.R. 3461, the Strong Start for America's Children Act that would increase opportunities for low-income 4-year olds by providing quality preschool through a 10-year federal-state partnership and by setting quality standards for early Head Start programs.
• As a member of the California delegation, Scott also wrote to President Obama, expressing support for his efforts to protect early childhood development programs during deficit reduction negotiations and the sequestration and budget debates.

III. STEM EDUCATION

• Scott signed a letter with members of the Congressional STEAM Caucus asking the Science Committee to recognize STEAM, the integration of arts and design into STEM, in the reauthorization of America COMPETES to foster creative, innovative thinking, and support US competiveness.

Scott cosponsored:

• H.R. 1358, the STEM Opportunities Act that would ensure federal agencies and institutions of higher ed reach out and employ women and other underrepresented minorities in their STEM programs.
• H.R. 2536 Computer Science Education Act, bipartisan legislation that makes computer science a core academic subject so that students can fulfill their science requirement by taking computer science and computer science teachers will be included in professional development activities.
• H.R. 2592, the STEM Innovation Networks Act of 2013 that would create a grant program to provide funding to STEM Innovation Networks, which build up private-public partnerships to increase STEM educational opportunities in communities. The grants are used for afterschool programs, testing of standards, and developing STEM workforce education and training programs.
•  H.R. 2368 Grants for Renewable Energy Education for the Nation (GREEN) Act that creates unique partnerships in the renewable and sustainable energy fields that will train young Americans to develop, operate, and maintain clean energy systems.  
• H.R. 4515, the Getting into Researching, Learning, & Studying of STEM (GIRLS STEM) Act of 2014, which provides grants to eligible local educational agencies to encourage female students to pursue studies and careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.

IV. SUPPORTING TEACHERS

• Scott introduced H.Res. 331 “National Innovation in Education Day,” that would recognize schools and teachers who are incorporating new ideas to improve their students’ educational experience.
• Scott signed a letter to heads of the FCC urging them to support modernizing the E-Rate program. This program would help connect America’s schools and libraries to high-speed internet, enhancing student learning and helping to close the education and access gap.

Scott cosponsored:

• H.R. 521 Transforming Education through Technology Act, that would provide school districts state grants to strengthen technological infrastructure and professional development that supports digital learning.
• H.R. 1763 Recognizing Achievement in Classified School Employees Act that would create the National Classified School Employees of the Year Awards to public school employees who provide exemplary service to students in pre-kindergarten through higher education.
• H.R. 3490 Teacher Tax Deduction Enhancement Act of 2013, bipartisan legislation would grant a $500 above-the-line tax deduction for full-time educators and make available, for the first time, a $250 deduction to part-time teachers who purchase classroom supplies out of their own pockets through 2019.
• H.R. 3243 the Supporting Teachers and Enhancing Manufacturing (STEM) Jobs Act that supports teacher professional development programs by reauthorizing and improving existing National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Education grant programs for K-12 teachers who teach in the STEM disciplines

V. CREATING SAFE & SUSTAINABLE SCHOOLS

• Scott cosponsored H.R. 1199 the Safe Schools Improvement Act that would direct schools to collect data regarding bullying and harassment incidents and ensure that schools have effective anti-bullying policies.
• Scott signed on to the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act, helping schools reduce costs, increase school’s sustainability, and save natural resources.
• Scott cosponsored the High School Data Transparency Act to ensure all students have equal opportunity to participate in athletics. It would require high schools to report on the number of female and male students participating in their athletic programs and expenditures made for sports teams.

Scott Peters voted not to allow sexual predators or other criminals to work in schools. He voted in support of the Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act, requiring every state educational agency that receives federal funds to conduct criminal background checks on each school employee

For video of a speech on college student loan affordability click: http://youtu.be/U0Qycpxc2b4

For more information on my position on education issues, feel free to contact me or give my office a call.

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