[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E971-E972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. RUBEN HINOJOSA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4577) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the 
amendment on 21st century community learning centers.
  I have been involved with education issues for almost 30 years. This 
experience has strongly reinforced for me that all children, regardless 
of income level or race have the same potential for high achievement 
and healthy development when provided appropriate opportunities.
  Thus, our goal must be to support the development of quality 
afterschool programs for all children, but especially those in low-
income communities.
  Our goal should also be to see the expanded-day programs linked to 
the core school day.

[[Page E972]]

  After-school programs are the best structures for the development of 
such programs, as well as other services needed in low-income 
communities. They can serve as pathways to developing strong, 
sustainable community schools.
  We definitely are not utilizing them enough.
  More than 77 percent of the 21st century community learning center 
funding goes to low-income youth. And with the changing new mix of 
technologies and competitive markets, our economy is increasing its 
demand for skilled labor and decreasing demand for unskilled or semi-
skilled labor. This means we can use these centers to focus on 
expectations for the core school day and its relation to the changes.
  This is important because for the first time in history, the Nation's 
economic and social well-being requires that all children be prepared 
for post-secondary education and career attainment.
  Although our public education system was never designed to prepare 
our students for higher education, after school programs seek to 
provide vital opportunities for children and youth to learn and to 
prepare for college and careers in the new economy.
  After-school programs achieve these goals by providing access to 
information technology and related learning services for children. This 
is especially critical because we have an opportunity to support an 
initiative that is really about local impact and local opportunity.
  We must bring balance to our communities! Afterschool programs keep 
students occupied with productive activities during the hours they are 
most likely to get into trouble, from 2 to 8 pm.
  We can support local and state efforts to sustain a much larger 
national community school movement than has ever been possible before. 
New research indicates that afterschool programs can make a positive 
difference in student development and academic performance.
  This is especially true for our low-income students. This initiative 
may be the greatest opportunity to help children at a critical point in 
their young lives.
  I'm particularly supportive of this initiative because it means that 
children who need extra help will be able to receive more attention. 
For these reasons, Mr. Chairman, I urge members to support this 
amendment.

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