The continuing resolution (CR) introduced by the Senate (summary here), which would fund the government through March 4, 2011, includes a definition of “highly qualified teacher†that would make it easier for alternatively certified teachers to become “highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind law. While this language has been in regulation since 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit struck down the regulation in September, saying that it went too far. The U.S. Department of Education regulation allows uncertified candidates in alternative-route programs to teach for up to three years while they seek certification. If passed, the CR would supersede the Circuit Court’s decision.
Posts Tagged ‘Congress’
CR Clarifies Definition of Highly Qualified Teacher
Monday, December 20th, 2010Legislative Update: Appropriations
Friday, December 17th, 2010Senate May Vote on CR This Weekend
As we told you last week, the House passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until September 30, 2011, and we are awaiting action by the Senate. This week the Senate introduced an omnibus appropriations bill as a substitute, but last night Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate would not vote on it because they did not have enough Republican support to pass it. Instead the Senate plans to propose a CR that would be shorter than the one passed in the House.
Legislative Update: Appropriations, Leadership Selections, Child Nutrition
Friday, December 10th, 2010House Passes Continuing Resolution, Senate Expected to Vote on Omnibus
On Wednesday night, the House passed a year-long continuing resolution (CR) by a vote of 212-206 that would fund all government programs at last year’s levels until the end of the fiscal year (September 30, 2011). All Republican members voted “no,†along with 37 Democrats. The plan had been for the Senate to present an omnibus appropriations bill as a substitute for the House continuing resolution. If the Senate were to get the 60 votes necessary for cloture, the bill will be sent back to the House for consideration. The omnibus bill would contain about $19 billion more in funding than the House CR and would contain congressional earmarks. However, it appears the Senate will not vote on this until next week.
House Select Committee Leadership
The House Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday announced new chairmen and ranking members for the slate of House committees for the 112th Congress. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee will be Hal Rogers (R-KY), while Norm Dicks (D-WA) will serve as ranking member. As expected, John Kline (R-MN) will chair the House Education and Labor Committee and George Miller (D-CA) will be ranking member.
Child Nutrition Bill Passes Congress
Last week the House passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which passed the Senate in August, and it now heads to the President for his signature. The goal of the bill is to improve children’s health and reduce childhood obesity nationwide by requiring school meals to meet new nutrition standards. The bill also gives the federal government the authority to apply nutritional standards to all food sold during the school day, including in vending machines, a la carte lines and other venues. There has been some concern that the new standards could impact CTE programs that sell student prepared food to raise money for their programs, but the bill does allow for an exemption for school-sponsored fundraisers that are approved by the school and are infrequent within the school.
A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends
Thursday, December 9th, 2010Earlier this fall, NASDCTEc hosted a webinar highlighting the recent trends seen in CTE governance, teacher shortages, funding and Career Clusters implementation, based on results collected and analyzed from the 2010 State Profile Survey. We are now happy to announce the release of A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends, a four-part series analyzing state CTE data and initiatives:
- A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends, Part I: Governance
- A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends, Part II: Teacher Shortage
- A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends, Part III: CTE Funding
- A Look Inside: A Synopsis of CTE Trends, Part IV: Career Clusters
Each section within the series provides a closer look and a better understanding of the structure and trends within CTE. While states are grappling with how to plan for the future in this uncertain economic climate, this series can help provide insights into the movement of CTE throughout the United States.
Legislative Update: Appropriations, Fiscal Commission
Friday, December 3rd, 2010Congress Passes Two Week Continuing Resolution
With the current continuing resolution (CR) set to expire today, both chambers of Congress this week passed a CR to fund the government until December 18. This will buy Congress more time to decide how to deal with FY11 appropriations – through an omnibus appropriations bill, or through a longer term CR. Democratic Appropriation Committee leaders would prefer to pass an omnibus appropriations bill because the funding totals will be higher than a CR and because the bill would include Congressional earmarks. But regardless of the whether programs are funded though a long term CR or an omnibus appropriations bill, funding will be at a substantially lower level than what the President proposed in his budget request.
Fiscal Commission Releases Report
Earlier this week, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which was formed to address our nation’s fiscal challenges, released its report, Moment of Truth. The report proposes deep cuts in discretionary spending that would “[h]old spending in 2012 equal to or lower than spending in 2011, and return spending to pre-crisis 2008 levels in real terms in 2013. Limit future spending growth to half the projected inflation rate through 2020.†This would cut a total of almost $2 trillion below Obama’s proposed FY 11 budget over nine years (FY 12-20). But there was support for education in the report: “At the same time, we must invest in education, infrastructure, and high-value research and development to help our economy grow, keep us globally competitive, and make it easier for businesses to create jobs.â€
However, at a vote scheduled for this morning on whether to officially adopt the report, the Commission adjourned without taking a vote because they did not have the 14 votes necessary. On Thursday it was reported that only 11 of the 18 members of Commission supported the proposals in the report.
Congressional CTE Caucus Names New Co-Chair
Monday, November 29th, 2010
Rep. Jim Langevin (RI) has been named the new Democratic co-chair of the House Congressional CTE Caucus. Rep. Langevin will fill the vacancy left by Rep. Brian Baird (WA) who is retiring this year. The Republican co-chair position is currently being filled by Rep. Steven LaTourette (OH). Founded in 2007, the Congressional CTE Caucus has approximately 60 members, and has as its mission to “enhance awareness in Congress of the importance of career and technical education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in America.â€
At both the state and national levels, Rep. Langevin has focused his policy efforts on national security, health care and stem cell research. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where he chairs the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, as well as the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on the Budget. Rep. Langevin also serves a Democratic Regional Whip for New England and as a member of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s Senior Whip Team, where he is responsible for educating other Democratic members on key issues and helping to craft the party’s strategy and legislative agenda.
Legislative Update: Congress Returns, Leadership Elections, Appropriations
Friday, November 19th, 2010Congress Returns for Lame Duck, Holds Leadership Elections
Congress returned to Washington this week for the lame duck session that could take them up to Christmas. On Tuesday the Senate held their leadership elections for the upcoming 112th Congress, but because the Democrats held onto the Senate, the leadership will remain the same as in the 111th Congress. Sen. Harry Reid (NV) will remain Majority Leader while Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) will be Majority Whip. Republicans elected Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY) to be Minority Leader and Sen. Jon Kyl (AZ) as Minority Whip.
On Wednesday leadership elections were held in the House, where there will be changes in the now Republican controlled House. Republicans elected Rep. John Boehner (OH) as Speaker of the House, Rep. Eric Cantor (VA) as Majority Leader, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA) as Majority Whip. The Democrats, meanwhile, elected Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA) as Minority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD) as Minority Whip, and Rep. James Clyburn (SC) as Assistant Minority Leader, which is a new position.
Appropriations Action Uncertain
During the lame duck, Congress hopes to resolve differences on the FY11 appropriations bills. There is currently a continuing resolution (CR), set to expire on December 3, which is keeping the government and federal programs running. The hope had been to pass an omnibus appropriations bill before the CR expires, however, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that he is opposed to an omnibus bill. This would mean that Congress would have to pass a longer CR and deal with appropriations in the next session.
Rep. Cantor Calls for Cutting Spending in the Next Congress
Friday, November 12th, 2010Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), the current Minority Whip in the House, and potential Majority Leader in the next Congress now that the House has shifted from Democratic to Republican control, has released an outline of his priorities and commitment to creating jobs and boosting the economy. Delivering On Our Commitment: A Majority to Limit Government and Create Jobs focuses on four areas:
- Creating jobs,
- Reducing government spending,
- Putting in place a new standard for prioritizing legislation, and
- Strengthening oversight
In an effort to reduce spending, Cantor is proposing to introduce a series of rescission bills that would cancel previously approved but unspent funds. The goal of the rescission bills is to offset the spending that “exploded in the last Congress.” Cantor also intends to expand the YouCut project which allows the public to vote online for spending cuts they would like to see. The program with the most votes is then put before the House for a vote. Cantor stated in this proposal that as Majority Leader he will schedule at least one YouCut proposal each week.
While it remains to be seen how far Republican proposals to drastically reduce spending will get in a divided Congress, all programs are fair game. That is why is vitally important that you make the clear connection to your representatives in Congress between CTE and turning around the economy and creating jobs.
Rep. Kline Outlines Education and Labor Priorities
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010With election day behind us and a shift in power in the House that leaves the future of a variety of policy issues uncertain, Rep. John Kline, the current ranking member of the House Education and Labor Committee (and potential chair during the next session), wasted no time in outlining his priorities for the committee. In a press release issued today, Kline set forth broad policy areas that the committee will focus on to “promote American competitiveness and hold government accountable.†Chief among his concerns is job creation and turning around the economy. Other priority issues that the committee will address in the 112th Congress include:
- Giving employers the certainty, flexibility, and freedom to create jobs;
- Conducting robust oversight of education and workforce programs across the federal government to protect students, families, workers, and retirees;
- Modernizing and streamlining training programs to help job-seekers get back to work; and
- Pursuing education reform that restores local control, empowers parents, lets teachers teach, and protects taxpayers.
It remains to be seen what impact the change in House leadership and a divided Congress will have on pending legislation such the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Workforce Investment Act. Will Congress come together to pass these vitally important pieces of legislation? Or will the gridlock in Washington continue?
Legislative Update: Congress in Recess, Continuing Resolution, For-Profit Hearing
Friday, October 1st, 2010Congress Recesses Until November
Despite returning to Washington just two weeks ago, members of Congress returned home yesterday to campaign in their states ahead of the mid-term elections. Congress is expected to return the week of November 15, then recess again for the week of Thanksgiving and be back the week of November 29, until done. Senate Majority Whip, Dick Durbin (IL), said this week that the lame duck session will focus on three items an omnibus spending package, a middle-income tax extension and a strategic arms control treaty with Russia.
Continuing Resolution to Keep Government Running
Because Congress did not pass any appropriations bills this session, they have passed a continuing resolution that will keep the government open and federal programs running at FY2010 levels until December 3, 2010. Their goal is to pass an omnibus appropriations bill before the session ends in December.
Senate Hearing on For-Profit Schools
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held the latest in a series of hearings on for-profit schools this week. Yesterday’s hearing, “The Federal Investment in For-Profit Education: Are Students Succeeding?,†focused on the success rates of students at these schools and the impact that attending these schools can have on personal debt. In his opening statement, Chairman Tom Harkin (IA) revealed the following statistics that his staff has compiled in a new report:
- Out of 16 for-profit schools analyzed, 57% of the students who entered school between July ‘08 and June ‘09 have dropped out.
- In total, these schools have lost 1.9 million students in the past three years.
- More than 95% of students at two-year for-profit schools and 93% at four-year for-profit schools took out student loans in 2007, compared with 16.6% of students attending community colleges.
“We will be having yet another hearing in early December, and then be looking at sometime next year coming up with some kind of legislative changes,” Harkin said during the hearing.
Ranking Member Michael Enzi (WY) was quick to point out that many of these problems are not limited to proprietary schools, but exist across the higher education spectrum, including public and private 4-year colleges and universities and community colleges, and that for-profits should not be singled out.