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December 2, 2011
PASS the FIX AMERICA’S SCHOOLS ACT, S. 1597
Dear Senator:
The following 173 organizations are writing to support the Fix America’s Schools Today (FAST) Act, S.1597. Modernizing schools and community colleges in local communities will create better learning environments for students and generate much needed jobs. The FAST Act will invest resources to repair, renovate and modernize America’s schools and community colleges while stimulating and creating some 300,000 jobs. Much needed local jobs will be generated in the construction industry among suppliers, ranging from architects and engineers to electrical, plumbing and roofing contractors and other construction workers who modernize, renovate and repair schools.
View full letter, click here
November 4, 2011
Dear Chairmen and Ranking Members:
The Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce, the Coalition for Health Funding and the Committee for Education Funding, representing the workforce investment, health and education communities, are jointly writing to urge you to recognize health, education, job training, children’s and social services programs as critical national priorities by providing the largest possible 302(b) conference allocation for the Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The allocation should be consistent with the aggregate discretionary appropriation level of $1.043 trillion included in the Budget Control Act (BCA).
Additional investment in these domestic programs will boost the economy and reduce the deficit through prevention of costly chronic diseases, increased earnings, and reduced expenditures for unemployment and other social service programs.
The FY 2012 bill as approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee has a discretionary allocation (including cap adjustments) of $158.027 billion. The draft House proposal released by
Chairmen Rogers and Rehberg, by contrast has a comparable allocation of $153.414 billion, a level that is $4.613 billion below the Senate.
To view the full letter, click here
October 20, 2011
The Honorable Patty Murray
The Honorable Jeb Hensarling
Co-Chairs
Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction
Congress of the United States
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senator Murray and Representative Hensarling:
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a coalition of 90 education associations and institutions from preschool to postgraduate education, is writing to express our views to the Joint Select Committee on the importance of federal funding for education
As highlighted below, education is the key to economic growth and nearly every economist has indicated that growing the economy is part of the solution to our nation’s budgetary crisis. Thus, we urge you to do the following three things. First, reject any further cuts to education programs. Second, include in your recommendations two key education provisions that will create jobs and improve the economy in the short term. Third, support increased investments for education to foster long-term economic growth and improve our nation’s global competitiveness
To read the full letter, click here
October 18, 2011
Dear Senator:
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a coalition of 90 education associations and institutions from preschool to postgraduate education, is writing to express our strong support for S. 1723, The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act.
This bill would provide $30 billion to create or save almost 400,000 education jobs for teachers and other school employees, including school counselors, school social workers, school nurses, librarians, paraprofessionals, custodians and other school personnel. Without these funds students will be shortchanged by reductions in school weeks, program eliminations, and unreasonable class sizes.
S. 1723 appropriately responds to the layoff crisis in our schools. Students, schools and colleges are struggling with significant state and local budget cuts that have resulted in large numbers of educator layoffs and major cuts to and elimination of a range of critical education programs.
In the past two years local governments have slashed over 250,000 education jobs, with 24,000 educator jobs lost just last month. Not only do those individuals who are laid off and their families suffer, but these reductions in force are also extremely harmful to local communities and the overall economy.
To read full letter, click here
October 14, 2011
Representative Denny Rehberg
Chairman
House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee
2358-B Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Rehberg:
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a coalition of 90 education associations and institutions from preschool to postgraduate education, is writing to seek your assistance in restoring a $329 million cut to key education programs in the 2011-12 school year.
The current Fiscal Year 2012 Continuing Resolution (P.L. 112-36), which expires on November 18, 2011, contains a 1.503 percent across-the board cut for all programs (unless otherwise exempted). Since most education programs are forward funded, and thus states and school districts won’t receive their FY 12 allocation of funds until July 2012, this 1.5 percent cut appeared to have little impact on education programs at this time.
To read the full letter, click here
October 14, 2011
Dear Chairman Harkin:
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a coalition of 90 education associations and institutions from preschool to postgraduate education, is writing to seek your assistance in restoring a $329 million cut to key education programs in the 2011-12 school year.
The current Fiscal Year 2012 Continuing Resolution (P.L. 112-36), which expires on November 18, 2011, contains a 1.503 percent across-the board cut for all programs (unless otherwise exempted). Since most education programs are forward funded, and thus states and school districts won’t receive their FY 12 allocation of funds until July 2012, this 1.5 percent cut appeared to have little impact on education programs at this time.
However, Section 115 of the CR states, “During the period covered by this Act, discretionary amounts appropriated for fiscal year 2012 that were provided in advance by appropriations Acts shall be available in the amounts provided in such Acts, reduced by the percentage in section 101(b).”
To read full letter, click here
October 10, 2011
Dear Senator:
The Committee for Education Funding (CEF), a coalition of 90 education associations and institutions from preschool to postgraduate education, is writing to express our strong support for S. 1660, the American Jobs Act of 2011. In particular, we support Subtitles B (Teacher Stabilization) and D (School Modernization) of Title II. We urge you to vote for cloture on S. 1660 and to pass the bill with these provisions.
The Teacher Stabilization program would provide $30 billion to save some 280,000 jobs of not just teachers but also other school employees, including counselors, social workers, school nurses, paraprofessionals, librarians, custodians and other educators. Without these funds students will be shortchanged by shorter school weeks, education program eliminations and unreasonable class sizes.
The School Modernization program would provide $25 billion in critically needed funds to improve learning conditions for students in some 35,000 public schools and $5 billion to expand and upgrade facilities and capacity at community colleges.
Our students deserve safe, healthy and modern school buildings. It’s hard for students to learn in schools with environmental hazards or lacking modern technology and science labs. School districts face an estimated $271 billion of deferred building and grounds maintenance. The average public school building is 40 years old with many far older. Chronic deferred maintenance and repair can lead to energy inefficiencies, unsafe drinking water, water damage and moldy environments, poor air quality, inadequate health and safety conditions, compromised building security, and structural dangers.
FY 12 House Appropriations: The text of and accompanying tables for the DRAFT House version of the FY 12 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill were released today: Appropriations Committee Releases the Draft Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services Funding Bill.
To see CEF’s comparison chart click here.
The bill text is at: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FY_2012_Final_LHHSE.pdf
The detailed funding table is at: http://appropriations.house.gov/UploadedFiles/FY12LH_Detail_SC_10_Rev_with_comparable.pdf
It is not clear whether the Subcommittee will hold a markup.
Rep. DeLauro issued a response, critical of the bill, which has many policy riders. See: DELAURO RESPONDS TO REHBERG DRAFT OF LABOR, HEALTH AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS BILL
Overall, the bill reduces funding for ED by $2.378 billion (-3.3%). Note that the Committee table is not totally comparable to ED’s tables.
Six programs are increased (the only one of these increased by the Senate was Indian ED):
- Title I grants to LEAS = +$1 billion (+6.9%)
- Impact Aid Basic Support Payments = +$35 million (+3.1%)
- Rural Education = +$25.5 million (+14.6%)
- Indian Education = +$5 million (+3.9%)
- IDEA Part B State grants = +$1.223 billion (+10.7%)
- Regional Education Labs = +$12.1 million (+21.1%)
31 programs are eliminated
- School Improvement Grants = -$534.6 million
- High School Graduation Initiative = -$48.9 million
- Mathematics and Science Partnerships = -$175.1 million
- Foreign Language Assistance = -$26.9 million – also eliminated in Senate bill
- Race to the Top = -$698.6 million
- Investing in Innovation Fund = -$149.7 million
- Teaching of Traditional American History = -$45.9 million
- School Leadership = -$29.2 million
- Arts in Education = -$27.4 million
- Excellence in economic education = -$1.4 million – also eliminated in Senate bill
- FIE programs of national Significance = -$12 million
- Ready-to-Learn television = -$27.2 million
- Advanced Placement = -$43.3 million
- Promise Neighborhoods = -$29.9 million
- Alcohol Abuse Reduction = -$6.9 million – also eliminated in Senate bill
- Elementary and Secondary School Counseling = -$52.4 million
- Carol M. White Physical Education Program = -$78.8 million
- Civic Education = -$1.2 million – also eliminated in Senate bill
- Special Olympics Education programs = -$8.1 million
- Vocational rehabilitation Demonstration and Training programs = – $6.5 million
- Vocational rehabilitation Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers = -$1.9 million
- Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions = -$9.6 million
- Strengthening Asian American Pacific Islander Institutions = -$3.2 million
- Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions = -$13.4 million
- Strengthening Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions = -$3.2 million
- Strengthening Tribal Colleges = -$26.8 million
- International Education and Foreign Language Overseas Programs =
-$7.5 million - Institute for International Public Policy = -$1.6 million
- Fund for the Improvement of Postsec. Ed. (FIPSE) = -$18.6 million
- Postsecondary Program for Students with Intellectual = -$11 million
- Javits Fellowships = -$8.1 million
Nine programs are cut:
- Title I Evaluation = -$3.2 million (-38.7%)
- State Grants for Improving Teacher Quality = -$24.7 million (-1%)
- Education for Native Hawaiians = -$14.2 million (-41.6%)
- Alaska Native Education Equity = -$6.2 million (-18.8%)
- Comprehensive Centers = -$43.2 million (-84.4%)
- Safe and Drug-Free Schools National Programs = -$54.2 million (-45.5%)
- Pell Grants = -$2.303 billion (-10.0%), but maintains the $5,550 maximum award. Note there are several amendments to the HEA concerning Pell grants included the bill that result in this cost reduction. See below.
- Hispanic Serving Institutions = -$87 million (-83.3%)
- Strengthening Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs) =-$85 million
(-35.9%)
Higher Education Policy Changes:
Sec. 307: Policy rider blocking implementation of the Gainful Employment regulations published on October 29, 2010 and June 13, 2011.
Sec. 308: Blocks implementation/enforcement of the regulation relating to State authorization and defining “credit Hour”.
Sec. 309: Makes numerous changes to Pell grant eligibility which result in reduced cost for the program, including:
- Eliminating eligibility for less-than half-time students
- Restricting eligibility to receive a minimum Pell grant
- Lowering the period of time for total Pell eligibility from 18 semesters to 12 semesters
- Changing the income protection allowances
- Lowering the family income that results in an automatic Zero Expected Family Contribution
- Changing the definition of untaxed income
- Eliminating students who are not high school graduates from receiving a Pell grant.
- All of those changes take effect on July 12, 2012
Other programs
- In HHS, Head Start is increased by $540 million
- In DOL, job training programs are severely cut, including the elimination of the $125 million Workforce Innovation Fund
- All National and Community Service programs are eliminated, including AmeriCorps. Total cut = $-474 million
- The Institute of Museum And Library Services is cut by $11 million (-4.6%)
September 2, 2011
The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye The Honorable Thad Cochran
Chairman Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations
U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Harold Rogers The Honorable Norm Dicks
Chairman Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
The 533 undersigned education, training, disability, public health, medical research, patient advocacy, women’s, children’s, civil rights, anti-poverty, faith and labor organizations respectfully urge you to recognize health, education, job training, children’s and social services programs as critical national priorities as you determine the final 302(b) allocations for the FY 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills. Additional investment in these domestic programs will boost the economy and reduce the deficit through prevention of costly chronic diseases, increased earnings, and reduced expenditures for unemployment and other social service programs.
To read the full letter click here.