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AEP Online |
AEP Capitol Hill Event Brings Industry Members and Lawmakers TogetherNo major changes appear to be in the future for the reauthorization of NCLB, according to Rep. Scott Garrett (NJ-05), who keynoted the Summit Capitol Hill event earlier this month. This year's event, which was held in the Lyndon B. Johnson room of the Capitol Building, presented attendees with up-to-the-minute details on education funding and featured a number of legislators close to the NCLB reauthorization process. Garrett began the day by discussing his background as a New Jersey state legislator and education advocate, and his hopes for the NCLB reauthorization. "Tinkering around the edges," was how he described plans for the bill, predicting that no major changes are in the works due to NCLB’s popularity amongst lawmakers. With that said he then discussed how he has introduced a bill that would alter the federal/state relationship of NCLB by allowing states to opt out of the law, and make the federal government return the education funding portion of state taxes. Staff members Chris Hartmann from Rep. Rush Holt's office (NJ-12), Lindsay Hunsicker, Senator Mike Enzi (WY) and Sara Cohen from Rep. Allyson Schwartz's office (PA-13 ) followed up with a view from the Education and Budget committees. Hartmann emphasized that the high stakes testing model would be changed in favor of growth models, stating that testing should be a tool for determining what students need, not a barrier penalizing schools that need help. Hunsicker stated that tinkering might be a simplification of what would actually happen with NCLB and that she would be working on the Senate version of the bill with the majority HELP staff. Cohen discussed Rep. Schwartz's priority of early childhood education, which includes a Higher Education Act loan forgiveness provision for those attaining early education degrees. All of the staffers stated that the reauthorized NCLB house bill would be introduced and make it to the House floor before the August recess. The Senate version will be debated after the August recess in September. The staff did not guess how long it would take to work out the differences. After the panel finished speaking, AEP and NSSEA members left to attend meetings with their own elected officials. Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 856-241-7772. |
For more information on the Capitol Hill event, please contact Jennifer Hill. For more of AEP's coverage of NCLB Authorization, please AEP's NCLB Countdown page. |
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