Connie Morella on Education Former Republican Representative (MD-8)

Co-chairs Women’s Caucus “Education and Children” Team

Bipartisanship is the key to the Women’s Caucus’ strength and success. The legacy of its first 20 years is one of Democratic and Republican Congresswomen committed to improving the lives of women and families, and willing to put their partisan differences aside to do it. As in years past, the Caucus members have divided themselves into legislative teams, co-chaired by a Republican and a Democrat. The 5 teams are charged with advancing action on their designated issues in a bipartisan manner.
• Education and Children, co-chaired by Reps. Connie Morella (R-MD) and Nita Lowey (D-NY).
• Health and Older Women, co-chaired by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Louise Slaughter (D-NY).
• Violence Against Women, co-chaired by Reps. Sue Kelly (R-NY) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
• Women in Business and the Workplace, co-chaired by Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Corrine Brown (D-FL).
• Economic Empowerment, co-chaired by Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA).

Voted YES on requiring states to test students.

Voted NO on allowing vouchers in DC schools.

Voted NO on vouchers for private & parochial schools.

Voted NO on giving federal aid only to schools allowing voluntary prayer.

Teacher development grants to improve math & science classes.

Title: To improve the quality and scope of science and mathematics education.

Summary: Directs the Secretary of Education to:
1. make grants to States for improvement and recruitment of quality teachers in science and mathematics education;

2. make grants to States for professional development of mathematics and science teachers;

3. establish 15 John Glenn Academies, for summer workshops and intensive, year-long fellowships for 3,000 individuals to prepare them to meet State certification requirements;

4. establish and operate a National Clearinghouse of Best Practices to coordinate successful and proven professional development opportunities for teachers;

5. make grants to improve science and mathematics education, and encourage more students to enter the fields of mathematics, science, and technology;

6. make grants to promote both achievement equity and gender equity in mathematics and science education;

7. establish a tax credit for businesses that employ science, mathematics, and technology teachers in summer fellowships related to their fields of teaching; and

8. establish a fair market value tax deduction for charitable contributions of science, mathematics, or technology equipment to public elementary and secondary schools.

Focus educational resources to help those with greatest need.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) helps to fulfill the most basic mission of federal education programs—equal opportunity for all children. To help improve the federal role in education, the Republican Main Street Partnership has identified the following areas that should receive priority during the reauthorization of IDEA:

• Focus resources to help those with the greatest need, particularly the disadvantaged and disabled
• Target Title I funds, those specifically designed to aid disadvantaged students, to students with the greatest need
• Although Title I funds are already allocated according to population and poverty, more funds must be targeted to our neediest schools. We propose funding, for the first time, grants that send at least a portion of Title I funds solely on the basis of need.
• Increase the maximum award under Pell Grants to help first-generation & low-income students continue their education
• Increase the maximum award for students from low-income families to restore the balance between grants and loans, particularly among those with the greatest need.
• Continue efforts to increase federal funding for IDEA to help states and locals offset the cost of providing a ëfree appropriate public educationí for students with special needs
• Move federal funding toward its goal of providing up to 40 percent of the average cost of educating a disabled child.
• In addition, we need to better evaluate the effectiveness of this program and ensure that federal funds for IDEA—particularly in light of recent funding increases—are being targeted to our students with real learning disabilities.
• Finally and most important, any fiscal incentives must be examined to ensure that the overidentification of learning disabled students is prevented, and our efforts must focus on the regular evaluation of the program to ensure that our special needs children are truly being provided a "free appropriate public education."

Require state standards, regular assessments, and sanctions.

To help improve the federal role in education, the Republican Main Street Partnership has identified the following areas that should receive priority:
• Require states to implement high standards of achievement in core subject areas, such as reading, math, writing, and science, for all students.
  Nearly all states have established high standards for education content in reading, writing and math. To continue to be eligible for Title I funds, we must ensure that states meet these standards.

• Require states to demonstrate success in raising the performance of all students -- from those who score below basic to those who are already proficient -- and narrowing the gap between disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers.
  Without regular assessments, we cannot determine how well students are achieving with respect to each state's performance goals. Although states are required to have assessments aligned with their content and performance standards by the 2000-2001 school year, it now seems that no state will be approved in time. To continue to be eligible for Title I funds, states must continue to work toward this goal and waivers must be provided only for those who are making substantial progress toward the implementation of their aligned assessments.

• Establish a meaningful system of rewards for schools that significantly increase student achievement and sanctions for those that fail.
  Schools that consistently fail to make progress toward their stateís own performance goals, after assistance and opportunity to improve, must be sanctioned with corrective actions ranging from the reconstitution of the school staff to the authorization of students to transfer to another public school. Schools that meet or exceed their performance goals should receive monetary awards through a new grant program designed to reward achievement.

Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable.

To help improve the federal role in education, the Republican Main Street Partnership has identified the following areas that should receive priority:
• Provide flexibility in exchange for increased accountability.

• Encourage more states to take advantaged of the Education-Flexibility waiver to better align federal programs with state and local priorities.

• Currently, 15 states have Ed-Flex authority and, according to GAO reports, the waiver authority promotes a climate that encourages state and local educators to explore new approaches to education. Ultimately, the states must make the decision to apply for the waiver, but education leaders must encourage states and schools to be innovative in their approach to education improvement.

• Enact new legislation to give states the option to combine education programs and funding in exchange for demonstrated improvements in student achievement at all levels

• In exchange for new flexibility, a participating state would have to show how it would combine and use funds to advance education priorities, improve student achievement and narrow the learning gap. If, after three years, the state has failed to meet its own requirements, the flexibility authority would be terminated and administrative funds would be withheld.

Make employee educational assistance tax-deductible.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore and make permanent the income tax exclusion of amounts paid under employer-provided educational assistance programs for employees.

Supported funding for teacher training & other initiatives.

The teams of the Women’s Caucus are charged with advancing action on their designated issues in a bipartisan manner. Legislation from Team 4. EDUCATION
• HR455—Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999—A bill to provide grants to local education agencies to provide integrated classroom-related computer training for elementary and secondary school teachers. (Capps)
• HR645—Teacher Technology Training Act of 1999—A bill to require states to incorporate technology requirements in teacher training content and performance standards. (Morella)
• HR1307—After-School Children’s Education (ACE) Act—A bill to provide for grants, a national clearinghouse of information and a GAO report on the quality and availability of after school programs. (Castle)
• HR1129—A bill to remove the 60 month limitation for taking a tax deduction of student loan interest. (Mink)
• HR1456—A bill to improve the National Writing Project program. (Miller-CA)
• HR637—Gifted and Talented Students Education Act of 1999—A bill to make improvements and expand the gifted and talented program. (Gallegly)

The Caucus has also identified the following as priority areas:
• School Construction Funding
• Alternative Teacher Certification
• School Violence
• Support of Title I of ESEA
• Gender Equity in Education
• School Counselors