[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 147 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11083-S11084]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DeWINE:
  S. 3163. A bill to establish a grant program to enable institutions 
of higher education to improve schools of education; to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
      By Mr. DeWINE:
  S. 3164. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve 
the loan forgiveness program for child care providers, including 
preschool teachers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 3165. A bill to provide loan forgiveness to social workers who 
work for child protective agencies; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 3166. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
loan forgiveness for attorneys who represent low-income families or 
individuals involved in the family or domestic relations court systems; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Lieberman):
  S. 3167. A bill to provide grants to States and outlying areas to 
encourage the States and outlying areas to enhance existing or 
establish new statewide coalitions among institutions of higher 
education, communities around the institutions, and other relevant 
organization or groups, including anti-drug or anti-alcohol coalitions, 
to reduce underage drinking and illicit drug-use by students, both on 
and off campus; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I join several of my colleagues today to 
introduce a series of bills related to the reauthorization of the 
Higher Education Act, HEA. These five bills emphasize a number of 
issues that are vital to higher education, including teacher quality; 
loan forgiveness for social workers, family lawyers, and early 
childhood teachers; and the reduction of drug use and underage drinking 
at our colleges and universities.
  The quality of a student's education is the direct result of the 
quality of that student's teachers. If we don't have well trained 
teachers, then future generations of our children will not be well 
educated. That is why I am introducing a bill that would provide $200 
million in grants to our schools of education to partner with local 
schools to ensure that our teachers are receiving the best, most, 
extensive training available before they enter the classroom.
  The Secretary of Education's annual report on teacher quality 
reported that a majority of graduates of schools of education believe 
that the traditional teacher preparation program left them ill prepared 
for the challenges and rigors of the classroom. Part of the 
responsibility for this lies in the hands of our schools of education. 
However, Congress also has a responsibility to give our schools of 
education the tools they need to make necessary improvements. This new 
bill would create a competitive grant program for schools of education, 
which partner with low income schools to create clinical programs to 
train teachers. Additionally, it would require schools of education to 
make internal changes by working with other departments at the 
university to ensure that teachers are receiving the highest quality 
education in core academic subjects. Finally, it would require the 
college or university to demonstrate a commitment to improving their 
schools of education by providing matching funds.
  Another complex issue affecting the teaching force is the high 
percentage of disillusioned beginning teachers who leave the field. Our 
bill would help combat this issue, as well. Schools of education 
receiving these grants would be responsible for following their 
graduates and continuing to provide assistance after they enter the 
classroom. The more we invest in the education of teachcers especially 
once they have entered the profession the more likely they will remain 
in the classroom.
  Today, I also would like to reintroduce the Early Care and Education 
Loan Forgiveness Act that Senator Wellstone and I had included in the 
last higher education reauthorization bill. We had been working on this 
legislation together before Paul's tragic death. I know he cared deeply 
about this issue and about making sure that all children receive a 
quality education. He was passionate about that. And, in his memory, I 
would like to rename our bill the ``Paul Wellstone Early Educator Loan 
Forgiveness Act.''

  This bill would expand the loan forgiveness program so that it 
benefits not just childcare workers, but also early childhood 
educators. This loan forgiveness program would serve as an incentive to 
keep those educators in the field for longer periods of time.
  Paul Wellstone knew how important early learning programs are in 
preparing our children for kindergarten and beyond. Research shows that 
children who attend quality early childcare programs when they were 
three or four years old scored better on math, language arts, and 
social skills in early elementary school than children who attended 
poor quality childcare programs. In short, children in early learning 
programs with high quality teachers, teachers with a bachelor's degree 
or an associate's degree or higher, do substantially better.
  When we examine the number and recent growth of pre-primary education 
programs, it becomes difficult to differentiate between early education 
and childcare settings because they are so often intertwined, 
especially considering that 11.9 million children younger than age five 
spend part of their time with a care provider other than a parent and 
demand for quality childcare and education is growing as more mothers 
enter the workforce.
  Because the bill targets loan forgiveness to those educators working 
in low-income schools or childcare settings, we can make significant 
strides toward providing high quality education for all of our young 
children, regardless of socioeconomic status. The bill would serve a 
two-fold function. First, it would reward professionals for their 
training. Second, it would encourage professionals to remain in the 
profession over longer periods of time, since more time in the 
profession leads to higher percentages of loans forgiveness. The bill 
would result in more educated individuals with more teaching experience 
and lower turnover rates, each of which enhances student performance.
  I encourage my colleagues to join me in this effort to ensure that 
truly no children, especially our youngest children, are left behind.
  I also am working on two bills with my friend and colleagues from 
West Virginia, Senator Jay Rockefeller. These bills would provide loan 
forgiveness to students who dedicate their careers to working in the 
realm of child welfare, including social workers, who work for child 
protective services, and family law experts.
  Currently, there aren't enough social workers to fill available jobs 
in child welfare today. Furthermore, the number of social work job 
openings is expected to increase faster than the average for all 
occupations through 2010. The need for highly qualified social workers 
in the child protective services is reaching crisis level.

  We also need more qualified individuals focusing on family law. The 
wonderful thing about family law is its

[[Page S11084]]

focus on rehabilitation, that is the rehabilitation of families by 
helping them through life's transitions, whether it is a family going 
through a divorce, a family dealing with their troubled teenager in the 
juvenile system, or a child getting adopted and becoming a member of a 
new family.
  Across the United States, family, juvenile, and domestic relations 
courts are experiencing a shortage of qualified attorneys. As many of 
my colleagues and I know, law school is an expensive investment. In the 
last 20 years, tuition has increased more than 200 percent. Currently, 
the average rate of law school debt is about $80,000 per graduate. To 
be sure, few law school graduates can afford to work in the public 
sector because debts prevent even the most dedicated public service 
lawyer from being able to take these low-paying jobs. This results in a 
shortage of family lawyers.
  The shortage of family law attorneys also disproportionately impacts 
juveniles. The lack of available representation causes children to 
spend more time in foster care because cases are adjourned or postponed 
when they simply cannot find an attorney to represent their rights or 
those of the parent or guardian. Furthermore, the number of children 
involved in the court system is sharply increasing. We need to make 
sure the interests of these children are taken care of by making sure 
they have an advocate, someone working solely on their behalf.
  By offering loan forgiveness to those willing to purpose careers in 
the child welfare field, we can increase the number of highly qualified 
and dedicate individuals who work in the realm of child welfare and 
family law.
  Finally, I am introducing a bill today with my friend and colleague 
from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, that would help address an 
epidemic, the epidemic of underage drinking, binge drinking, and drug-
related problems on college and university campuses across the United 
States. Our bill would provide grants to states to establish statewide 
partnerships among colleges and universities and the surrounding 
communities to work together to reduce underage and binge drinking and 
illicit drug use by students.
  According to a study by Boston University, over 1,400 students aged 
18-24 died in 1998 from alcohol-related injuries, more than 600,000 
students were assaulted by another student, and another 500,000 were 
unintentionally injured while under the influence of alcohol. According 
to a 1999 Harvard University study, 40 percent of college students are 
binge drinkers and according to the Department of Health and Human 
Services, nearly 10.5 million current drinkers were under the legal age 
of 21, and of these, over 5 million were binge drinkers.

  Currently, 28 States, including my home State of Ohio, have 
coalitions that deal specifically with the culture of alcohol and drug 
abuse on our Nation's college campuses. They work with the surrounding 
communities, including local residents, bar, restaurant and shop 
owners, and law enforcement officials, toward a goal of changing the 
pervasive culture of drug and alcohol abuse. They provide alternative 
alcohol-free events, as well as support groups for those who choose not 
to drink. They also educate students about the dangers of alcohol and 
drug-use.
  Furthermore, the coalitions recognize that while it is important to 
promote an alcohol aware and drug-free campus community, if the 
community surrounding the campus does not promote these initiatives, 
there will be no long-term solutions. Therefore, these coalitions also 
have worked to establish regulations both on and off campus, which will 
help our nation's youth to stay healthy, alive, and get the most out of 
their time at college. Some of these regulations include the 
registration of kegs. This provides accountability for both the store 
and the student. This is just an example of one step that colleges, 
local communities, and organizations can take.
  To help start the expansion of these coalitions, our bill would 
provide $50 million dollars in grants. This is an important 
demonstration project that would help lead to positive effects for our 
young people. It is up to us to change the culture, which has been 
perpetuated by years of complacency and a dismissal tone of ``that's 
just the way it is in college.'' We must protect the health and 
education of our young people by changing this culture of abuse--and 
that is exactly what this bill would do.
  Next year when we consider the reauthorization of the Higher 
Education Act, I encourage my colleagues to join in support of these 
initiatives.
                                 ______