Presentation at the 2010 TESOL convention covering legislation and other federal initiatives dealing with education and related areas of importance to the TESOL field.

1. U.S. Federal Update
John Segota
Director of Advocacy & Professional Relations
2010 TESOL Convention, Boston, MA
March 26, 2010

2. Overview
• 111th Congress
• Obama Administration
• Key Issues
– Federal Budget
– Stimulus
– Education Policy
• ESEA
• WIA
• Immigration
• Advocacy

3. 111th Congress
• House of
Representatives
– 253 Democrats
– 177 Republicans
– 5 Vacancies
• Senate
– 57 Democrats
– 41 Republicans
– 1 Independent
– 1 Independent Democrat

4. U.S. House of Representatives
• Leadership
– Speaker of the House – Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Education and Labor
– Chairman – Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
• Appropriations
– Chairman - Rep. David Obey (D WI-7)

5. U.S. Senate
• Leadership
– Majority Leader - Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
• Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
– Chairman – Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
• Appropriations
– Chairman – Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

6. Congressional Agenda
• Federal Budget
• Health Care Reform
• Jobs Creation
• Immigration Reform
• Education Bills

7. U.S. Department of Education
• Arne Duncan - Secretary of Education
• Russlynn Ali - Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

8. U.S. Department of Education
• Thelma Melendez - Assistant Secretary, Elementary &
Secondary Education
• Brenda Dann-Messler, Assistant Secretary, Vocational and
Adult Education

9. Federal Budget – FY10
• Dept. of Ed. - $67,382.25 million
– $639.57 million – Adult Education
• $628.22 million – State Grants
• $75 million – EL/Civics
– $14,492.40 million – Title I
– $750 million – Title III

10. Federal Budget – FY11
• Proposed 3-year budget freeze
• $3 billion increase for ESEA
• ESEA reform
• Race to the Top, Investing in Innovation

11. Federal Budget – FY11
• $653.7 million – Adult Education
– $612 million – State Grants
– $75 million – EL/Civics
• $14,492.40 million – Title I
• $800 million – Title III
– $50 million competitive grants

12. Investing in Innovation (i3)
• American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
(ARRA)
• $650 million
• Three types of grants:
– Scale-up Grants
– Validation Grants
– Development Grants

13. Race to the Top
• $4.35 billion
• Advancing reforms in four areas
• $350 million assessment fund
• 15 states & DC finalists in phase 1
• Link to Common Core Standards initiative

14. Common Core Standards
• Led by NGA & CCSSO
• 48 states & DC
• K-12 English-language arts and math
• Public comments through April 2
• www.corestandards.org

15. Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• Blueprint for Reform
– College- and Career-Ready Students
– Great Teachers and Leaders in Every School
– Equity and Opportunity for All Students
– Raise the Bar and Reward Excellence
– Promote Innovation and Continuous Improvement
• Reform accountability
– “Tight on goals, loose on means”

16. ESEA: Blueprint for Reform
• Cross-Cutting Priorities
– Technology
– Evidence
– Efficiency
– Supporting English Learners and Students with
Disabilities
– Supporting Rural and other High-Need Areas

17. Title III Reform
• Establish new criteria to ensure consistent
statewide identification of students as
English Learners, and to determine eligibility,
placement, and duration of programs and
services, based on the state’s valid and
reliable English language proficiency
assessment.

18. Title III Reform
• Implement a system to evaluate the
effectiveness of language instruction
educational programs, and to provide
information on the achievement of
subgroups of English Learners, to drive
better decisions by school districts for
program improvement, and to support
districts in selecting effective programs.

19. Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
• Hearings
• Community Conversations
• Adult Education & Economic Growth Act
– HR 3238 - Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
– S 1468 - Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

20. Adult Education
• FLUENT Act (H.R. 1224)
• National Adult Education & Family Literacy
Week - Oct. 18

21. Integration & Immigration
• Strengthen and Unite Communities with
Civics Education and English Skills Act of
2009
– H.R. 3249 - Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
– S. 1478 - Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY)
• DREAM Act
– S. 729 - Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)
– H.R. 1751 - Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA)

22. Immigration Reform
• HR 4321 - Comprehensive Immigration
Reform for America’s Security And
Prosperity (CIR ASAP) Act of 2009
• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen.
Lindsay Graham (R-SC) Washington Post
op-ed March 18

23. Intensive English Programs
• Accreditation Bill
– S. 1338 – Sen. Ben Carper (D-DE) and Sen. Lamar
Alexander (R-TN)
– HR 2361 – Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Lamar
Smith (R-TX)
• TESOL, AAIEP, UCIEP Joint Position
Statement on Governance for English
Language Instruction at Institutions of Higher
Education

24. Online Resources
• TESOL’s U.S. Advocacy Action Center
– http://capwiz.com/tesol
• http://www.senate.gov
• http://www.house.gov
• http://thomas.loc.gov