ALAWON v4n54 (June 8, 1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n54 ****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 4, Number 54 June 8, 1995 In this issue: (87 lines) TEACHERS AND TECHNOLOGY; MAKING THE CONNECTION TWO VISIONS EMERGE FOR FUTURE OF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION *************************************************************************** TWO VISIONS EMERGE FOR FUTURE OF DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION On Wednesday, June 7th, the House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee compared two plans for the future of the Department of Education in the latest of several hearings held on departmental reorganization. Representatives Steve Gunderson (R-WI) and John Boehner (R-OH) presented and defended their respective plans for legislation to re-invent the Federal role in education. Gordon Ambach, Executive Director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, offered insight as to how each of the plans would effect educational efforts nationally. Representative Boehner, as a member of the Republican group called the House Education Task Force, presented a brief outline of the soon to be introduced "Back-to-Basics Education Reform Act." Representative Boehner's sentiment for the Department of Education was that, "The experiment of a large Federal role in education has failed." The proposal would eliminate the Department of Education and consolidate funding for the programs administered by the Department into two major block grants. The grants would be in the form of a $9 billion grant for elementary and secondary education and a $2 billion grant for post-secondary education. The monies would be dispersed at the discretion of state governors who are required to fill only one criteria, that 98% of the funds are to be spent at the local level. A few select programs, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Pell Grants, and impact aid, would be relocated to other departments. Representative Gunderson's proposal calls for the merger of the Department of Education and the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to form a Department of Education and Employment. The new department would be organized into three basic functions: Workforce Preparation and Policy, Civil Rights, and Workplace Policy. Most education programs and adult training programs would fall under the Workforce Preparation and Policy function. Gunderson said that it was in the national interest to have a "skilled, trained, competitive workforce." He asserted that the proposed Department of Education and Employment is the most the efficient way to achieve this workforce. Ambach's warning for both proposals was, "Don't change the structure until you know where the function will fit." His criticism of Boehner's plan was that by dispersing programs to five or more agencies the plan is not consistent with the concept of streamlining. It also pushes national leadership for education down several levels of importance. While Gunderson's plan does keep all education programs in one department, Ambach still felt that a merger with the Department of Labor would, "crowd out the focus on education." Watch ALAWON for further developments as these two plans are introduced as legislation and move through the political process. *************************************************************************** TEACHERS AND TECHNOLOGY; MAKING THE CONNECTION _Teachers and Technology; Making the Connection_ is a major report issued recently by the Office of Technology Assessment at the request of the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources with endorsement by the House Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. The report assesses the potential of technologies, the barriers, needs for training, support and research. The study also analyzes the role of federal leadership in legitimizing, funding and targeting technologies in schools. Copies of the report are available from the GPO ($8.50) or through depositories. OTA has also produced a 20-minute video to accompany the written report; for details call 202/224-8996 or e-mail pubsrequest@ota.gov. Access the report electronically through OTA Online using any one of the following Internet tools: WWW - http:/www.ota.gov or FTP: otabbs.ota.gov, login anonymous, password is your e-mail address. Publications are in the /pub directory. Telnet otabbs.ota.gov, login as public, password is public. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. Contributing to this issue: Mary Treacy and Claudette Tennant. Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org). ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (Internet). Back issues and other documents are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. To get a particular file, issue the command "send filename filetype" to the listserv. Do not include the quotes in your commands. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. For other reprinting or redistribution, address requests to the ALA Washington Office (alawash@alawash.org). *************************************************************************** ***End of file******************End of file******************End of file***