Welcome 110th Congress!

The 110th Congress took power this morning, and legislation on the minimum wage will be addressed next week. CNN has the story.

Also, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute has published a report titled “Crystal Apple: Education Insiders’ Predictions for No Child Left Behind’s Reauthorization.” 

The report has what is perhaps not the most rigorous methodology (basically, ‘we asked a a dozen experts for their opinions.’ ) But at only a page of text followed by graphics, it is worth the read. The main argument is that Congress will not reauthorize No Child Left Behind this year, despite pressure from the Bush administration.

Catching Up on My Stories

Wow! It’s 2007 and time to get started on a new year of blogging. I am re-emerging after a few weeks of vacation (except for one brief post last week), and am realizing there are several important stories I missed.

The first comes from Sonja J. Cohen’s awesomely helpful Unitarian Universalists in the Media.
 She highlights a story from the News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware. Their local UU congregation, the First Unitarian Church, provides support for young people leaving foster care and starting out on their own. The church members provide not only material support, but also build relationships with the young people. Way to go!

The second story I am catching up on is the Education Trust’s recent report that Title I federal funding from the No Child Left Behind Act does not reach poor students. Instead the money goes to enhance districts that already spent lots of money on students. From the report:

“The problem lies in the Title I formulas. Under the three main formulas (basic, concentration, and targeted
grants), each state’s Title I allocation is largely a product of two factors. The first is the number and
concentration of poor children in the school districts of each state. This factor benefits poorer states because they have disproportionate numbers of low-income children. But the second factor is the average per-pupil expenditure in the state. This state expenditure factor means that high-spending states
get more Title I money per poor child than low-spending states. The net effect is that Title I does not reduce,
but rather reinforces, inequality among states.”

So basically, the law is designed to help states that already spent money on their students. It leaves behind children already neglected by their state governments. I know that equal funding is a high priority for children’s advocates within Massachusetts for this coming year. If this is an issue you want to learn more about on the state or national level, visit the Education Trust.

Happy New Year!

May you be blessed this year with laughter and hope.

I am feeling a swell of excitement about this coming year, and the potential for people in this country to make real policy changes that help children and youth. From the minimum wage on the national level to universal pre-kindergarten here in Massachusetts, there is energy behind legislation that will support working parents and their children. My New Year’s resolution is to continue working hard on this blog, so that you can check back here regularly and find crucial information to support you in advocating for children. Happy New Year!