Press Releases
Innovative Education Technologies Can Boost Student Achievement and Teacher Effectiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel
06.16.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Innovative uses of technology in U.S. classrooms are increasing student achievement and engagement, improving teacher effectiveness and teaching critical thinking and problem-solving skills, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. This is the first in a series of hearings the committee will hold to explore how technology-based education tools are transforming American education. “It’s clear that technology and innovation in the classroom not only helps m… Continue Reading
House Passes First Legislation to Protect Students on School Run Overnight Trips
06.15.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed the first federal legislation to keep students safe while on school-sponsored overnight field trips. Under current laws, there are no requirements for schools to have safety plans in place when students attend off-campus, overnight trips. The legislation, Phylicia’s Law (H.R. 729), authored by U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ), would rectify this. It would require school districts receiving federal funds through the Sa… Continue Reading
Family and Paid Sick Leave Crucial to Work-Life Balance, Witnesses Tell House Labor Subcommittee
06.11.09 WASHINGTON, DC—Witnesses told the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee today that expanding paid family leave and paid sick leave are necessary to help families balance work and family. Currently, only 8 percent of American workers have access to paid family leave, and almost half do not have access to a single day of paid sick leave. “It is unacceptable that this country, which is the number one economy in the world, can barely compete with developing nations when it comes to paid leave an… Continue Reading
House Committees Brief Members on Draft Health Reform Outline
06.09.09 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, leaders of the Committees with jurisdiction over health policy briefed members of the House Democratic Caucus on the current framework and timing of health reform efforts in the House of Representatives. The discussion, led by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), and Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA), focused on the key principles of reducing health care costs, pr… Continue Reading
Outstanding Charter Schools Provide Models to Help Students Succeed, Witnesses Tell Education House Panel
06.04.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congress should find a way to replicate and support the successes of outstanding charter schools as it works to improve our public schools, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Some of the most promising and influential public school reform strategies in recent years have been pioneered by the charter movement, including extending learning time, principal autonomy over staff and budget decisions, high expectations for all students, using data-driven re… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Applauds State Efforts to Adopt Common Academic Standards
06.01.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today after the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers announced that 49 states and territories have joined an effort to develop a set of common academic standards for K-12 students. “I applaud the governors, chief state school officers, and all of their partners for leading the way toward a common core of fewer, cleare… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Applauds California’s Call for Free Digital Textbooks
05.29.09 WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) today issued the following the statement following Governor Schwarzenegger’s recent call to expand learning opportunities for California’s high school students by providing them with free digital textbooks. The textbooks will be aligned with a rigorous core of standards.“Governor Schwarzenegger has taken a historic step to help prepare California’s high school students to compete in a global, 21st century economy. Research shows that technology-fri… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Applauds Suspension of Last-Minute Bush Guest Worker Regulation
05.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today applauded an announcement by the Department of Labor for suspending a last-minute Bush administration regulation that lowered wages and gutted labor protections for agricultural guest workers - changes that threatened to drive down the wages and working conditions for all agricultural workers. “I commend Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for suspending this destructive midnight regulation that… Continue Reading
America’s Students, Families and Taxpayers Need Major College Loan Reforms, Witnesses Tell House Education Committee
05.21.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A wide and growing consensus of stakeholders, including the Obama administration, Sallie Mae, colleges and students, agree that major reforms must be made to the federal student loan programs in order to make college more affordable for years to come, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. In the last year, the crises in the credit markets and the economy have dramatically altered the student loan landscape, putting the federally-guaranteed student loan … Continue Reading
Secretary Duncan Announces Plans to Increase Oversight of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools
05.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - At a hearing on Capitol Hill today, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan told members of the House Education and Labor Committee that he intends to begin monitoring how states are using seclusion and restraint in public schools. Duncan also said he plans to ensure that all states have clear policies in place on seclusion, restraint and other physical interventions that are used in schools for the coming academic year. A GAO investigation released yesterday at a committee heari… Continue Reading
Transforming American Education is Top Obama Priority, Secretary Duncan tells Congress
05.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan made his first official appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the Obama administration’s agenda for improving educational opportunities for all Americans, from “cradle to career.” “President Obama is committed to building the world-class education system our economy needs and our students deserve. He put us on the right track by putting Arne Duncan at the helm of our nation’s schools,” said U.S. Rep. Geo… Continue Reading
GAO Report Finds Hundreds of Allegations of Abusive and Deadly Uses of Seclusion and Restraint in Schools
05.19.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new government report released today found hundreds of allegations that schoolchildren have been abused, and some even died, as a result of inappropriate uses of seclusion and restraint in classrooms. These abusive practices were used disproportionately on children with disabilities.The U.S. Government Accountability Office, which conducted the first government investigation specifically into schools’ use of these practices at the request of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), … Continue Reading
House Dems Applaud Expected Withdrawal of Last-Minute Secret Bush Regulation
05.15.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of the House Committee on Education and Labor today applauded the Department of Labor’s announcement that they intend to withdraw a Bush era proposal that would have dramatically weakened future workplace health and safety regulations and slow their enactment."The Bush administration’s proposal would have dramatically slowed important initiatives to ensure the health and safety of American workers,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education a… Continue Reading
Starting July 1, Federal Student Loan Payments Will Become More Manageable for Borrowers
05.14.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - With this year’s college graduates preparing to enter one of the toughest job markets in years, today Democratic lawmakers announced new benefits that will take effect July 1 that will make college more affordable for students and allow borrows to cap their monthly student loan payments at a reasonable percentage of their income. The benefits were established under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, a law Congress enacted in 2007 that provided an additional $20 billion… Continue Reading
House Labor Committee Opens Investigation into Alleged Improprieties by Bush Pension Agency Head
05.14.09 WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced that the committee is opening an investigation of potential improprieties by the former director of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Charles E. F. Millard, based on a draft report of the PBGC’s Inspector General.“The House Education and Labor Committee is looking into very serious questions raised by the PBGC Inspector General that the former head of the PBGC ha… Continue Reading
House Approves Legislation to Modernize and Green America’s Schools
05.14.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to modernize, upgrade, and green America’s schools by a vote of 275 to 155. The 21st Century Green High Performing Public School Facilities Act, (H.R. 2187), invests billions of dollars in school repair and renovation projects that would create safer, healthier, and more energy-efficient learning environments for students. The legislation makes schools part of the effort to revive the U.S. economy and… Continue Reading
Innovative Approaches Needed to Combat Childhood Obesity, Witnesses Tell House Education Subcommittee
05.14.09 WASHINGTON, DC - Child nutrition programs have a role to play in fighting the nation’s child obesity crisis, witnesses told members of the House Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee today. While there is no single solution for combating this epidemic, which plagues 25 million children, these programs should take a comprehensive approach that promotes nutrition quality, education and physical activities.“There is no silver bullet to solving childhood obesity,” said U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCa… Continue Reading
Chairmen Rangel, Waxman, Miller Statement on White House Meeting on Health Care
05.13.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Reps. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and George Miller (D-CA), the chairmen of the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Education and Labor Committees, joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer at a meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss their efforts to pass health care reform legislation this year. After the meeting, the chairmen released the following statement: “We thank President Obama for convening this … Continue Reading
High School Dropout Crisis Threatens U.S. Economic Growth and Competiveness, Witnesses Tell House Panel
05.12.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. high school dropout crisis poses one of the greatest threats to the nation’s economic growth and competitiveness and must be addressed, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Witnesses urged Congress to explore legislative solutions as quickly as possible. “The crisis we’re seeing in our nation’s high schools is real, it’s urgent, and it must be fixed,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the committee. “It’s become increasingly clear… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Hails Obama Initiatives to Expand College and Job Training Access
05.08.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today hailed the Obama administration for taking steps to expand access to college and other education and job training programs for workers who have lost their jobs. President Obama announced this effort as today’s April jobs report showed the U.S. economy lost 593,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate shot to 8.9 percent. “As we continue working to turn our economy around, we hav… Continue Reading