[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 105 (Thursday, July 22, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1627-E1628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RESULTS OF AN EDUCATION FIELD HEARING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 1999

  Ms. SANCHEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to report on the field hearing 
that the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth & Families held 
in my district--in Anaheim, California--on parent and community 
involvement in education this month.
  Today's children bring so many needs to our classrooms. And we are 
all responsible for making sure those needs are met--parents, teachers 
and educators; federal, state and local government; the corporate and 
nonprofit sectors; our institutions of higher learning and law 
enforcement.
  Teachers can't meet those needs alone. Parents can't do it alone. 
It's too late for our universities to do it once our kids get to 
college. And recent events all over our nation have proven that our 
young people certainly can't make it on their own.
  Schools need adequate resources--especially those with the children 
and the families who need it the most--so our schools can focus on 
education instead of fundraising. That falls to all of us.
  So at this hearing, we discussed how our communities can and should 
work with our schools. We heard from parents, teachers, students and 
members of the community on how to do that.
  After the conclusion of the formal field hearing, I was able to 
conduct a question and answer period for members of the community who 
were in attendance.
  This was an opportunity to examine issues that may not have been 
brought up by the panelists--for example the role of fathers in 
children's lives. As the traditional breadwinner in the family, fathers 
who work all day have rarely had time in the past to take an active 
role in the child's education. Fathers who do take part in the 
educational pursuits of their children have boosted self-esteem levels 
that have been lacking in these children. Simple tasks such as reading 
with and to children and helping with homework, are two ways that 
involve fathers in this process. Fathers do play a crucial role in the 
education of their children, a point community members wanted to 
highlight.
  The need for gun safety was also stressed. Requirements, such as a 
minimum age of 21 and background checks for gun purchases play a 
significant role in keeping our schools and children safe.
  The important question of funding for the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was also raised. While educators look 
to the federal government to provide 40 percent of the funding for this 
program, many schools receive only 11 percent of the funding needed and 
are forced to compensate with local resources. The need to fill in this 
funding gap was stressed because without sufficient funding for this 
program more handicapped children are at risk of incarceration and 
substance abuse.
  Suggestions were also made on how to improve education at both the 
federal and local levels. Citizens expressed their wishes on several 
items.

[[Page E1628]]

  Congress should receive input from private schools.
  All parents of school-age children should participate in parent 
education programs.
  Parent education programs should include material on parental 
involvement in the classroom.
  Early childhood/preschool programs such as Head Start should be 
funded at higher levels.
  Furthermore, another topic discussed was the re-evaluation of funds 
at the federal level and the reallocation of funds already distributed 
by the Department of Education.
  As for the local level, the public raised the need for community 
organizations to work directly with citizens on such projects as 
building a new community athletic facility, as such opportunities were 
deemed worthy extracurricular programs for children.
  I was impressed by the number of citizens who attended the hearing. 
The levels of community awareness and public support evident at the 
event were appreciated and inspiring. All in all, the day proved that 
it does take an entire community--parents, businesses, citizens and 
school personnel--to educate a child.

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