[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 104 (Tuesday, July 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SUPPORT CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION AMENDMENTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997 the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Reyes], is recognized 
during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, today we will continue consideration of the 
Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education amendments. I rise this afternoon 
to support vocational education because of its importance to this 
country and to my district of El Paso, TX. Carl Perkins provides 
Federal funding to improve the quality of vocational education and to 
provide access to quality vocational education to special populations 
which include disadvantaged students.
  My home in El Paso is one of the poorest districts in this country. 
Many students there cannot afford to attend college. Vocational 
education, especially as funded through Carl Perkins, provides these 
students the skills that they need to move immediately into higher 
paying jobs, and upon graduation for some it provides the skills 
developed that will set them for a career path in life. For others, 
vocational education provides job opportunities which will allow 
individuals to work and to save for college in their future.
  Schools in my district are using this funding to teach our kids in 
innovative ways and to prepare them for the working world or to 
continue their education and college if they so choose.
  I was very disappointed to learn that the bill excludes a requirement 
to spend vocational education funds for programs for single parents and 
pregnant women. The Ysleta School System in my district has developed a 
very important program which could make use of such funds.
  This program at Ysleta Academy of Science and Technology helps 
teenage parents through its Teen Parenting Academy and the Teen 
Parenting Program, which takes pregnant students out of the regular 
classroom and provides them academic and vocational education.
  The Teen Parenting Academy uses State funds for academics and Carl 
Perkins funds for vocational education. Within 6 weeks of the child's 
birth, other schools would send the student back to regular classes. 
This program, however, allows students to complete their academic 
career at the Teen Parenting Academy.
  Normally teenage parents, male and female, have a very high dropout 
rate, especially soon after their babies are born. In this program, 
however, students stay in school, complete their academic education and 
learn a vocation. The dropout rate for single parents in the Teen 
Parenting Academy is well below the national and local dropout average.
  Continued vocational education funding for single pregnant women and 
single parents would help this school continue to provide these kids 
opportunities that they might otherwise miss, and it helps to keep 
these kids from falling into the vicious cycle of poverty.
  The support a bipartisan amendment offered by the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii [Mrs. Mink], the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella], the 
gentlewoman from California [Mrs. Sanchez], and others, which will 
restore this requirement.
  I believe that quality education is the key to helping children and 
adults in communities like mine to raise their standard of living. We 
must, therefore, continue to provide Federal support for important 
educational programs like Carl D. Perkins. The way to make this country 
a better, more productive society is to increase the educational level 
of all its residents.

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