Telephone: Telephone:
Washington
Office
120 Cannon Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-8020
Fax:
(202) 225-5915
Main District Office
17 Peabody Square
Peabody,
MA 01960
(978) 531-1669
Fax:
(978) 531-1996
The Congressman's Views & Accomplishments
General Views on Education
To paraphrase one of this country's eminent economists and social commentators, John Kenneth Galbraith, education has many justifications -- serving as a gateway to economic prosperity is not necessarily the primary one. Historically, people of all backgrounds have seen education as hope -- the vehicle by which, whatever their circumstance, one might lift oneself up the rungs of society's ladder to a better lot in life.
Moreover, we rely on a well-educated populace so that citizens are knowledgeable in, and insistent upon, a democratic form of governance. The more our people are educated, the more likely they are to resist totalitarianism and dictatorship. Good citizenship and an involved citizenry rely on a knowledgeable electorate. On an even more basic level, education provides us with the tools with which to enjoy life more fully -- to have a better appreciation for the arts, music, sciences, history and all the idiosyncracies of the world around us. It is, as Professor Galbraith reminds us in one of his recent publications, no mistake or coincidence that the more affluent have usually made sure their children were afforded the best possible education. It is reasonable that others, like Horace Mann, came to see the individual and societal benefits gained from a good education and insisted on a public system when sufficient private resources were not available to many.
Of course, there is an economic justification for education, and the correlation between income and achievement in school are by now well known. In New England -- and Massachusetts in particular -- employers rely on the availability of educated workers who possess the skills needed to create new products and services, and to devise a creative means of developing and delivering those products to market. Of late, our industries have been concerned about the availability of capable employees to fill vacant jobs. That issue will require our careful attention.
The federal government should play a role in education. Only less than 10 percent of all funds spent annually on elementary and secondary education comes from the federal government. Still, it is not unusual for the federal government to provide leadership and direction in important educational initiatives: classroom size, introducing technology into the classroom, professional development, "Title I" (assistance to economically disadvantaged students and districts), standards and accountability, and focus on areas in need of support such as math and science.
Nevertheless, it is to the local school districts and the states that the primary responsibility for education falls. This is by virtue of the fact that over 90 percent of the funding emanates from these entities, and because by far the most decision-making is done at that level.
I continue to work with colleagues in Congress to support proposals that enhance local initiatives and foster high standards of teacher and student achievement, while insisting that recipients of federal funds be accountable in measurable ways for improved performance. Accountability is important within the educational system, and equally important to parents and communities.
Some argue that there are shortcomings in our public schools that are so great that we should promote and support alternatives such as "vouchers." But proposals for such schemes usually offer too little money for too few students. The amounts proposed are generally only a fraction of the costs for private schools, and, with 57 million public school students in America, a small offering unfairly leaves most students out in the cold. In addition, there is little or no evidence that there are enough private school slots for "voucher" students, or that such programs are even remotely successful. In the interim, experiments using public money -- as opposed to private funds -- run the prospect of draining valuable resources from schools that need them desperately. In so doing, proponents of these schemes would tacitly abandon our public schools. I reject that approach. We can allow for alternative means of educating our young people, but that should not happen at the expense of our public schools.
We should -- and I do -- support reasoned innovation and creative initiatives as we seek to make more effective those public schools in need of improvement. I believe the federal government can and should play a role in stimulating creativity and innovation on the local level. For that reason, I have been a strong proponent of the Comprehensive School Reform initiative. This federal program provides seed money to communities where parents, teachers, administrators, and businesses have come together to make their local schools more effective. They know best what their needs are and what will best serve their young people. The federal government can help them make that possible.
The demands placed on our public schools are great. The changes in the workplace in recent decades have increased pressures to extend the school day. Expanding enrollments have yielded larger classes, and the resulting need for more teachers. A new wave of immigrants presents yet another challenge. In the ‘96-'97 school year, 8 percent of the children attending public schools - 3.4 million students - had difficulty understanding English. That is twice the number of students who had similar problems a decade ago. The need for well-trained teachers is greater than ever.
Americans have long recognized that our common good is best served by having a public school system open to all. Our public schools are too important. They are part of the glue that holds our society together. We have an obligation - at all levels of government - to see that our public schools have the resources needed to educate all of the children who walk through their doors.
Accomplishments and Agenda on Education
As a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman Tierney contributed to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in the 105th Congress. It allotted more funds for direct grants, for tuition expenses, brought school loan interest rates to the lowest point ever, directed more money to work-study programs to pay students working their way through school, established a tax credit for families (the HOPE Scholarship) to help with tuition costs, and continued tax advantages to employers and employees for continuing education opportunities. Overall, the law provided some $35 billion in assistance to help families cope with the rising costs of college tuition.
Congressman Tierney also had a hand in shaping the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. This measure improved upon efforts to provide for the training and education of people seeking to move from Welfare to Work (and other support, such as transportation and child care), and to offer assistance to people displaced from jobs due to technology, global economic forces or other conditions, and to those entering the job market from school. For the 20 percent of our adult population known to be functionally illiterate (unable to read or compete at a fifth grade level) Adult Basic Education (ABE) resources were expanded and improved so that people need not be shut out from work, nor consigned forever to lower paying jobs.
This term, Congressman Tierney looks forward to being an active participant in the re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). In this process, Congressman Tierney and his colleagues will determine how the federal government can best contribute to the sound education of the nation's 57 million public school students. It has been clear for some time that the state and local education agencies are not always able (due to limited resources, especially after Proposition 2 ½) or not always willing (due to philosophical or other differences within communities) to address all of the needs of public school children. After some Court decisions found state or local responsibilities going unmet (i.e. disabled children), the federal government began passing laws aimed at assisting and supplementing state and local efforts. This has included addressing other glaring needs (poorer children with markedly deficient performance in reading and math), and more recently the growing burden placed on school systems to cope with new technology.
In first half of the 106th Congress, Congressman Tierney played an active role in helping to craft the Teacher Development component of ESEA. He and a number of colleagues on the Education Committee succeeded in combining the efforts to hire more teachers in order to reduce class size with provisions that would hold school districts accountable for performance. The House version of ESEA requires that progress be demonstrated in hiring teachers who are proficient in the subject matter being taught; requires that all teachers be qualified by the end of 2003; requires that all students show a greater level of achievement; and requires that parents and communities be regularly informed of such performance.
Congressman Tierney had the opportunity, in the 105th Congress, to work on several education bills that were passed with broad support. They include:
- The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) improves educational opportunities for some 5 million children with disabilities.
- The Employment, Training and Literacy Enhancement Act provides greater opportunities for adult education and job training.
- In 1997, Congressman Tierney led the successful fight to eliminate an amendment to the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill that would have seriously undermined the efforts of the federal government to support education programs such as Head Start, remedial math and reading, and teacher training . The so-called Gorton amendment would have placed nearly all federal funds for elementary and secondary schools into a single block grant with no assurances that the funds would be spent on the local programs they were intended to benefit. 168 Members from both sides of the aisle signed Mr. Tierney's letter to House and Senate Conferees urging removal of the Gorton amendment from the final bill. The amendment was removed. A similar successful effort in 1998 resulted in the signatures of 180 Members on letters to House and Senate leaders in opposition to the block granting of federal education funds.
- Congressman Tierney played an active role on the House Floor during debate on the FY ‘99 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill by defending the need for adequate federal funding of education programs. Rep. Tierney fought off Republican attempts to weaken the Comprehensive School Reform concept which would provide parents, teachers and administrators with the opportunity to apply for federal grant money to improve their schools.
- Congressman Tierney has helped facilitate the coordination and enhancement of literacy programs, particularly for adults, - including two literacy forums in Lynn and Haverhill -- and has worked with businesses and local communities to improve school-to-work initiatives. Efforts are currently underway to create a 5-year plan for augmenting adult literacy and workforce development programs.
- Congressman Tierney has consistently opposed efforts that would divert federal spending on education from the public schools, either through the use of vouchers or special individual retirement accounts (IRAs) that would largely benefit those families who choose not to use the public schools.
- Congressman Tierney has facilitated the distribution of surplus computers to schools throughout the district, and encouraged principals and superintendents to take advantage of the Universal Service Fund, which provides schools and libraries with the means to make discounted purchases of Internet services and computer equipment.