We told you it wouldn't be pretty.

The SENATE ESEA bill can be found at

http://labor.senate.gov/legisl/S_2-ESEA/s_2-esea.htm

The Senate is going to go first this year on the big ESEA reauthorization package (you may remember that the 1994 ESEA reauthorization was the infamous HR 6). Senator Jeffords (R-VT) evidently wrote the bill with ol' Teddy Kennedy and it is pretty obvious from reading it. The Senate full committee (HELP committee) is scheduled to markup and amend this bill on March 1st.  

I've enclosed some very rough comments below to get you started on where to look for your favorite parts. We have a few friends on the Senate Committee but if Jeffords votes with the Democrats he can kill any amendment on a tie 9-9 vote. We may have to work on amendments for the Senate floor.

NOTE: remember this is only the SENATE version, the House hasn't released its full ESEA yet (though it did already pass Title I (HR2) last year).

Rough Notes:

Title I increased by $3 bill to about $10 billion

Title II national board for professional teaching standards

Title III

1. expanded 21st century community learning centers
2. day care paid for and created in this section
3. new Goals references
4. lots of STW references
5. looks like a type of certificate of mastery here, too.
6. refers to community resources may let them refer to county ABORTION clinics and birth control facilities
7. coordinating health and social services
8. Arts education that works with NEH and NEA
9. "cultural" ed-- notice the word isn't defined. Could we have homosexual ed here?

Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools

1. tons of references to hate crimes and to trying to rid schools of "prejudice and intolerance"
2. drug and violence prevention in preschool !!!(guess this means telling Jimmy not to hit Cindy)
3. gun amendments will be offered here

Title X-gen provisions:

1. As Eagle Forum predicted, the SENATE has changed the name of Goals 2000 to National Education Goals and renamed its panel as well and given them new life in this section.
2. original draft I looked at allowed goals panel to accept gifts (we call 'em bribes)
3. original draft allowed goals panel to be paid upwards of $110,000/year!!

Please feel free to pass this along.

************PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send constructive and very specific

amendment ideas to me at eagleforum@aol.com *************

Thanks and God Bless,

Sheila

Eagle Forum