Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.3/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id RAA25183; Fri, 18 Feb 2000 17:01:23 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 17:01:23 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <NCBBKFFJMKFIFAGAFGNEMEDFCGAA.tpeyton@famlit.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Tony Peyton" <tpeyton@famlit.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:2740] Family Literacy Policy Update X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2910.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 4291 Lines: 75 Family Literacy Policy Update: With President's Day this Monday, February 21, the U.S. House of Representatives will be off taking a breather before launching into a variety of legislation. At the same time, the Senate returns from a weeklong recess, with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions gearing up for its consideration of Congress' major education legislation for the year -- reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Few can predict the final outcome of the second session of the 106th Congress. Politics will no doubt enter into deliberations, with education debate including a discussion of issues such as school vouchers, choice, and the proper role of the Federal government in education decision-making. Budget politics will also weigh heavily on education policymaking in Congress -- with a projected Federal budget surplus of as much as $1.9 trillion over the next 10 years fueling a protracted debate over the allocation of taxpayers dollars and pit domestic investment against tax cuts, defense spending, and a variety of competing interests. And, while politics often enters into the policy arena, 2000 promises to be an even racier time for the creation of education policy in Congress as Republicans and Democrats try to position themselves in the most favorable light with the public as they enter a watershed election which will choose a new President, one-third of the Senate and every Member of the House of Representatives. The promise of opportunities for family literacy prevail, however, with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce recently approving, on a bipartisan basis, legislation (H.R. 3222, Literacy Involves Families Together Act or LIFT) to renew and expand the federal Even Start program and Senate Education Committee Chairman Jim Jeffords (R-VT) promising to support efforts to increase the statutory authorized funding level for Even Start to $500 million which, if appropriate, would represent a more than tripling of the annual budget for the family literacy program. In addition to increasing the authorization for Even Start, LIFT would also encourage the use of Title I, Part A funds for family literacy services when appropriate. It would allow Even Start to serve children eight years of age and older if schools use Title I, Part A funds to pay a portion of the cost of the services. In regards to Migrant and Indian Even Start, the bill increases the set-aside from 5 percent to 6 percent once the appropriations for Even Start reach $200 million. Indian Even Start programs would also be required to coordinate with other family literacy programs operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). LIFT also requires that within 4 years of enactment that a majority of individuals, whose salaries are paid for with Title I, Part B funds, providing academic instruction as part of an Even Start program have an AA, Baccalaureate, or advanced degree in early childhood, elementary school, or adult education, or meet the State qualifications for early childhood, elementary school, or adult education. Finally, this bill funds research to find the most effective ways to improve literacy among adults with reading difficulties. This research is to be carried out by the National Institute for Literacy through an entity with experience in doing such research. While the House of Representatives has already agreed to ESEA reauthorization legislation in a piecemeal manner, the Senate plans to keep the measure intact in committee deliberations and on the floor of the Senate -- with as much as a month dedicated to debate and voting on the measure. Some of the greatest heroes, starting with House Education Committee Chairman Bill Goodling (R-PA), will be retiring at the end of the current Congress. Chairman Goodling is committed to instilling family literacy in federal programs -- and state and local efforts with federal encouragement -- prior to his retirement. For the next week, we stand ready to field your questions, provide you guidance on the development of policy on Capitol Hill, offer our opinions as well as clear up questions of fact, and generally engage in what we hope to be a wide-ranging and helpful discourse with you. Alan Lopatin Tony Peyton
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