The 2010 midterm election has resulted in a dramatic change in the make-up of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The landslide election will alter the seats of power in Washington. President Obama and the Democrats will no longer have control and the ability to set both the legislative and executive branch agendas. And, in terms of education, both of the congressional committees charged with direct responsibility for education legislation have seen a seismic shift in who is staying and who is going.
How will this impact the education agenda? Well, when the people change and the power shifts that inevitably means that politics will drive decision making, at least for a while. Although we won’t know about committee leadership and assignments for several months, here are a few things we do know:
Regardless of party and seats of power, NCLD knows that we can work with the new Congress because we have strong working relationships with Members and their staff on both sides of the aisle — this is how we’ve always done our work. Our longstanding efforts and leadership on behalf of students with LD have allowed us to build solid allies among Republican and Democratic Members and their staff.
That being said, it is unclear how soon Congress will turn to education legislation especially when education did not rise to the top three issues for the American people in the latest polls. In addition, the overall climate and general support for students with disabilities within the context of education reform remains volatile.
Regardless of party affiliation, there are too few champions for students with disabilities on Capitol Hill. In fact, with this staggering number of new Members arriving for the 112th Congress in January, it means that NCLD’s role in educating Congress about what learning disabilities are (and are not) is more important and more challenging than ever.
Several important issues will continue to be front and center in the new Congress. Among them are:
NCLD works closely with the Senate and House education staff and are aware of various issues being discussed related to students with disabilities and ESEA reform. As such, we anticipate that the pervasive misunderstanding of learning disabilities — that they prevent a student from achieving grade level standards, taking grade level assessments and graduating with a regular diploma — will require strategic outreach, targeted educational materials and strong parent engagement in 2011.
I hope you will work with us to paint the real picture of who the students with LD are and keep the policy discussion focused on high expectations. We want every student with LD to graduate with a regular diploma and set a course for college and/or career training so they can lead a productive life.
Join our Legislative Action Network so we can tell Congress why our kids count, join us on Facebook and help us protect and strengthen the educational opportunities for students with LD!
How will this impact the education agenda? Well, when the people change and the power shifts that inevitably means that politics will drive decision making, at least for a while. Although we won’t know about committee leadership and assignments for several months, here are a few things we do know:
- In the House, education expert and disability rights champion, Rep. George Miller (D-CA) will pass his gavel as Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor to John Kline (R-MN)
- Key House members we have worked with in the past, such as Dale Kildee (D-MI), Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon (R-CA) and Bobby Scott (D-VA) will returnLongstanding advocates for disability issues, like Mike Castle (R-DE) and Joe Sestak (D-PA) have both been defeated
- In the Senate, longtime disability advocate Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) maintains control of the Health, Education and Pension Committee (HELP) with Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) as the Ranking Member
- Several key Senators have retired (e.g. Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Judd Gregg (R-NH) ) and their successors’ records on supporting students receiving special education supports and services are unknown.
Regardless of party and seats of power, NCLD knows that we can work with the new Congress because we have strong working relationships with Members and their staff on both sides of the aisle — this is how we’ve always done our work. Our longstanding efforts and leadership on behalf of students with LD have allowed us to build solid allies among Republican and Democratic Members and their staff.
That being said, it is unclear how soon Congress will turn to education legislation especially when education did not rise to the top three issues for the American people in the latest polls. In addition, the overall climate and general support for students with disabilities within the context of education reform remains volatile.
Regardless of party affiliation, there are too few champions for students with disabilities on Capitol Hill. In fact, with this staggering number of new Members arriving for the 112th Congress in January, it means that NCLD’s role in educating Congress about what learning disabilities are (and are not) is more important and more challenging than ever.
Several important issues will continue to be front and center in the new Congress. Among them are:
- Education funding. Education funding (especially special education) is a prime target for a Congress focused on cutting spending NCLD will continue to advocate for funding levels that align with the commitment in IDEA
- Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) currently known as No Child Left Behind: Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan’s Blueprint for ESEA Reauthorization has some bipartisan support and education committee staff (from both parties) have been meeting together for months in an attempt to develop a framework for ESEA reform
NCLD works closely with the Senate and House education staff and are aware of various issues being discussed related to students with disabilities and ESEA reform. As such, we anticipate that the pervasive misunderstanding of learning disabilities — that they prevent a student from achieving grade level standards, taking grade level assessments and graduating with a regular diploma — will require strategic outreach, targeted educational materials and strong parent engagement in 2011.
I hope you will work with us to paint the real picture of who the students with LD are and keep the policy discussion focused on high expectations. We want every student with LD to graduate with a regular diploma and set a course for college and/or career training so they can lead a productive life.
Join our Legislative Action Network so we can tell Congress why our kids count, join us on Facebook and help us protect and strengthen the educational opportunities for students with LD!