III. New Community -

Education

"Let's give our children a future. Let us take away their guns and give them books. Let us overcome their despair and replace it with hope. Let us, by our example, teach them to obey the law, respect our neighbors, and cherish our values. Let us weave these sturdy threads into a new American community that can once more stand strong against the forces of despair and evil because everyone has a chance to walk into a better tomorrow."

-- President Clinton
1995 Stat e of the Union

The Clinton Administration has made an unprecedented commitment to reforming the federal role in education and training. The President's lifelong learning agenda expands opportunities for American children and adults to improve their skills and maximize their potential.

The Clinton Record: A Lifelong Learning Agenda. The President announced at the beginning of his Presidency his commitment to a Lifelong Learning Agenda - from expansion and improvement of early childhood education to reform of adult education and training programs. Much of that agenda has been enacted over the past two years:

Head Start. Provides comprehensive services for disadvantaged children, ages three to five, and their families.

• The President has increased Head Start spending by $760 million and wants to expand the program to reach more young children.

• The President won bipartisan support for improving the operation of Head Start along the lines of recommendations made by the Head Start Advisory Commission to examine the program after 25 years of operation.

Goals 2000. Goals 2000 affirms the President's belief in the critical role of education in building America's future and the federal government's central role as a partner in that effort.

• More than 40 states have already chosen to participate in Goals 2000 and with the leadership of local communities, parents, teachers and school administrators have developed their own strategic plans for educational reform.

• L egislation passed in 1994 will support meaningful state and community school improvement efforts, based on raising academic and occupational standards, improving teaching and expanding the use of technology.

National Service. With passage of the National Service legislation, Americorps has 20,000 volunteers working in schools, hospitals, neighborhoods and parks. National Service can change the way government works by enabling participants to pay for their education while helping to change communities. That is why President Clinton is working to expand the program to 47,000 participants.

Direct Lending. With the passage of the Student Loan Reform Act, 104 schools and over 300,000 students are already participating in the program. This year more than 1,400 schools - representing 40% of the total number of loans and the maximum allowed under this year's authorization - have committed to enrolling. This program cuts bureaucracy and saves taxpayers and students billions of dollars, while allowing more borrowers flexible repayment arrangements -- including pay-as-you-earn plans through Individual Education Accounts.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Designed primarily to help disadvantaged children, this law focuses on improvements in teaching in more than 50,000 schools and has a direct impact on five million children in high poverty areas. By increasing school flexibility to use federal aid and supporting effective innovations, this law takes a big step toward helping all students meet high academic standards.

School to Work. Broadens educational, career and economic opportunities for students not immediately bound for four-year colleges through local partnerships among businesses, schools, community organizations and state and local governments. By equipping students with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue work or post-secondary tra ining, this law helps ensure that America will be capable of performing and prospering in a competitive global economy.

Technology and Training. To ensure that our nation's classrooms are not left behind in the technological and information revolution that is taking place, the Clinton Administration has initiated a "Technology Learning Challenge," which will challenge learning communities -- teachers, students, local businesses, telecommunications companies, curriculum and learning specialists -- to develop and deploy interactive learning curriculum content that will allow students to learn both at school and at home.

Republican Proposals

• The Department of Education. Republicans calls for abolishing the Department of Education. The President believes strongly in the Department and the need for a strong federal role in education.

• Goals 2000. Republicans are calling for eliminating a program that promotes high standards for students.

• Direct Lending. Republicans want to eliminate the very program that cuts bureaucracy and saves taxpayers and students billions with cheaper student loans.

• Student Loans. Republican proposals to pay for their tax cuts includes $9.6 billion from eliminating the in-school interest grace period, which relieves students with subsidized loans from responsibility for interest on their loans while in school and for six months following graduation.

• National Service. Republicans want to dismantle AmeriCorps, the President's signature service program, which expands opportunities for young people willing to give something back to their country.

• Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Republicans want to kill a program - present in 94% of our schools - that teaches students the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and alternatives to violence.