[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E22-E23]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         A PROPOSAL TO BRING OUR SCHOOLS INTO THE 21st CENTURY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss our education 
system and to propose legislation that I am developing to help 
accelerate our society's private investment in our young people.
  The key to the continued success and survival of America and of 
individual Americans is the quality of our children's education. As we 
approach the 21st Century, our education system and our young people 
alike face tremendous challenges.
  We agree that today's classrooms are supported by dedicated teachers, 
involved families, and bright young children. But many of our Nation's 
classrooms lack the important technological resources that they need to 
train both teachers and students in the ways of the future. Most jobs 
today, and a vast majority of jobs in the future, demand familiarity 
and skill with high technology. Technological literacy has long been a 
must for our scientists and engineers. But technological literacy is 
increasingly a prerequisite for factory production workers, law 
enforcement personnel, office staffs and thousands of other careers 
less frequently associated with technology and the present revolution 
in telecommunications.
  How is our system of education meeting this tremendous change? 
Despite good intentions, it is not doing well enough. Less than one in 
eight of our classrooms has a phone jack. Fewer than 1 in 50 classrooms 
are connected to the Internet, one of the fastest-growing and most 
dynamic information tools of our time. Fortunately, Congress last year 
enacted comprehensive telecommunications reform legislation which will 
heavily discount the rates schools will pay for interactive 
connectivity.
  But the challenge extends beyond needs for technological linkups and 
hardware. Too many of our teachers lack the hardware, software, or 
training to teach young people about technology, or to harness 
technological advancements to improve education as it has transformed 
commerce and communications.
  Without early training in computer programming or digital technology, 
many of our future leaders will start off in life at a severe 
disadvantage.
  Many private interests already make significant investments in 
education technology. In my San Diego County congressional district, 
major employers like Sony, Pacific Bell and Qualcomm invest significant 
time and resources into adopting local public schools. My annual High 
Tech Fair introduces thousands of high school students to our 
community's leading high-tech employers and the work they are doing for 
the future. An organization called the San Diego Science Alliance 
gathers together dozens of companies and university research 
organizations to expand student and teacher interest in technology, 
science, and research. The Detwiler Foundation, located in La Jolla, 
CA, has expanded nationally its innovative plan to accept donations of 
computers, refurbish them to the state-of-the-art, and install them in 
classrooms. And several major education software firms, including 
Jostens and the Lightspan Partnership, are working on bringing 
technology into classrooms from headquarters in San Diego County.
  As a father, as a former teacher, coach and top gun instructor, and 
as the past chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, 
Youth and Families, I am more convinced now than ever before that the 
need is so great that more must be done to bring the education of our 
young people into the 21st Century. Congress is now investing about $1 
billion annually into education technology, but this is a drop in the 
bucket. Years of Government overspending, deficits and debt make a more 
massive direct Federal investment program unfeasible and unlikely. We 
should instead work to direct the innovation and energy of private 
enterprise to the education of our young people.
  This is why I am developing legislation to expand tax incentives for 
American businesses to invest privately and directly in their local 
classrooms. Today, companies can deduct from taxable income the 
depreciated value of products which are donated to charitable tax-
exempt organizations. Under my plan, companies such as telephone 
companies, computer networking firms, software companies, and perhaps 
even professionals in high-tech training would be offered an expanded 
tax incentive to donate equipment or services to local schools.
  This type of tax incentive would expand private investment in the 
technological literacy of America's young people. It would accelerate 
the equipping of our young people for the high-tech environment that 
exists today, and tomorrow as well.
  Such legislation raises important questions. Should the expanded tax 
credit be available for donations to private schools and homeschooling 
organizations, in addition to public schools? How can the credit be 
limited only to those donations that are part of a school's own 
education technology plan. It should not be an incentive for companies 
to dump obsolete equipment or software on schools that do not want it. 
What constitutes appropriate products and services that would be 
eligible for the expanded credit, and how should they be valued?
  These issues should not stop us from taking action. The job of 
bringing the education of our children into the 21st Century is a 
tremendous task. But while the task is great, I remind my colleagues 
that the opportunity for this proposal to benefit our country and our 
children is greater still.

[[Page E23]]

  Mr. Speaker, as I continue to develop this important legislation, I 
encourage my colleagues to discuss this important matter with families, 
teachers, school staffs, employers and universities in their own 
congressional districts. Recommendations and suggestions are most 
welcome, and should be directed to my Washington office.

                          ____________________