NLA Info: Federal Legislation

[DJRosen at world.std.com]

[Cross-posted from NIFL_Family by David J. Rosen]

To the List:

Laurie asks several questions that have in fact had many of us searching for
answers, so let me try to clear some of this up with what I do know...  The
new Reading First Initiative being proposed by Congress does dilute to some
degree the emphasis on family literacy.  However, to say that it has
eliminated all references to family literacy would be incorrect.  The
Reading Excellence Act requires that family literacy services be provided in
order for a LEA to receive a subgrant.  Neither the House (H.R. 1) nor
Senate (S.1) versions of the Reading First Initiative (which would
consolidate the Reading Excellence Act) include this requirement, but they
do talk about coordinating with family literacy services.  The following
appears in the Department of Education's budget justification regarding
Reading First:

"The Reading First State Grants is the Administration's new comprehensive
effort to use scientifically based reading research to promote high-quality
school reading instruction for grades K-3. The request includes $900 million
for this proposal, a $614 million increase that would more than triple the
1.1 million children served under the antecedent Reading and Literacy Grants
program in 2001. Local reading programs would help teachers and school
administrators improve instruction, support family literacy activities to
improve the home learning environment, and mobilize reading coordinators and
experts in communities and States to strengthen existing literacy efforts."

As for concerns regarding Even Start funding, while the President has
proposed to fund Even Start at $250 million (the same level as in FY 2001),
this level is $100 million more than was appropriated just two years ago in
FY 2000.  Certainly, the field would like to see an increase but our goal
should also be to maximize the availability of other resources being put on
the table, like the $975 million for the President's Reading First and Early
Reading First initiatives.  Both the House and Senate bills preserve Even
Start as a stand-alone program and do not threaten Even Start
funding/programming at the state levels.  In both the House and Senate
bills, Reading First would become Part B of Title I of ESEA and Even Start
would be a subpart of Part B of Title I, but the funding stream is
preserved.

At the National Center for Family Literacy, we have been working with
Congress to ensure that family literacy is well represented during the
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education.  We are making
progress, but could always use help from the field, so don’t take the
afternoon off yet… You should contact House and Senate members, particularly
the authorizers, Boehner, Castle, Miller, Kildee, Schaffer, Hoekstra,
McKeon, Mink and Roemer in the House of Representatives and Jeffords,
Kennedy, Gregg, and Dodd in the Senate and urge them to make family literacy
an important piece of the Reading First Initiative.  They need to understand
the centrality of literate parents to literate children.

To get information about contacting Members of Congress, visit
http://famlit.org/policy/advocacy.html#find

Also, it would be helpful if people would report back to this list about the
response they receive from the Members offices.

Tony Peyton
National Center for Family Literacy
325 W. Main Street, Ste.200
Louisville, KY  40202
(502) 584-1133 x.126
fax (502) 584-0172
tpeyton at famlit.org

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-family at nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of
Laurie Bercovitz
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 5:05 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:3553] Federal Legislation


I've been to meetings lately and there has been some concerns raised over
two legislative issues.  One, that the new REA legislation proposed by
President Bush has eliminated all reference to family literacy and two, the
new block grant also proposed by President Bush has the potential to put
Even Start funding/ programming into possible jeopardy at the state levels.


Has anyone out there heard about this.  Is the information I've been hearing
correct?  If so, what is happening at the national level?  Why is the
president (who has been portrayed as a defender of family literacy)
advocating for these changes?

What can be done to intercept these legislative proposals and have family
literacy back on the front burner?

Laura Bercovitz



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