Education

E.D. Opposes Reauthorization of Asbestos, Immigrant Programs

By Alex Heard — March 28, 1984 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

During a House subcommittee hearing last week, representatives from the Education Department argued against sections of an omnibus bill that would extend for five years several expiring programs in elementary and secondary education.

Federal Programs

The bill, HR 11, would extend support for a number of federal education programs, including those created under the Bilingual Education Act, the Asbestos School Hazards Detection and Control Act, and the General Education Provisions Act, among others.

There is also a possibility the bill will be amended to extend the Emergency Immigrant Education Act, a $30-million program that expires on Sept. 30.

Administration spokesmen appearing before the House Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education last week strongly opposed this extension.

Gary L. Bauer, the department’s deputy undersecretary for planning, budget and evaluation, said, “We do not believe a case has been made that the children of immigrants--many of whom were born in the United States and are hence not themselves immigrants--pose special educational problems that are not being addressed through existing programs.”

The Administration officials said they also oppose the reauthorization of federally sponsored asbestos-control activities. “Most of the effort in the area of detection has already been completed,” Mr. Bauer said. “The removal of asbestos from the schools can and should be paid for by state and local taxpayers.”

The Education Department has estimated that removal of friable--or easily crumbling--asbestos from all public and private schools in the country will cost $1.4 billion. In hearings before a Senate appropriations committee last week, department officials were told to “be assured” that funds for asbestos removal would be included in the fiscal 1985 budget. (See Education Week, March 21, 1984.) There was no similar assurance from the House panel last week.

Among the other programs discussed last week were:

Bilingual Education. The Administration officials said they continue to support the bilingual-education improvements act of 1983, which they believe offers greater instructional flexibility at a lower cost than other bilingual proposals. One such proposal was introduced last week by Representative Dale E. Kildee, Democrat of Michigan, and Resident Commissioner Baltasar Corrada, Democrat of Puerto Rico. (See related story on page 13.)

Impact Aid. The Administration officials said they would propose once again to restrict federal impact-aid payments to “A” children--those with parents who both live and work on federal property--and to end payments for “B” children, whose parents either live or work on federal property. Payments for ‘B’ children, which are authorized only through the end of the current fiscal year, would be extended under HR 11.

General Education Provisions Act. HR 11 would extend the authorization for the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the National Center for Education Statistics through fiscal 1989. The department officials said they support reauthorizations only through the end of fiscal 1986, when they will present comprehensive new proposals for their reauthorization.

1985 Budget

In separate hearings on the Education Department’s 1985 budget before the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell was commended for offering a budget that would increase federal education spending by $100 million over current levels.

The subcommittee’s chairman, Representative William H. Natcher, Democrat of Kentucky, told Mr. Bell, “We’re glad you’re still serving,” and asked if plans to abolish the Education Department have been abandoned once and for all.

“That isn’t an issue before us at present,” Mr. Bell said.

A version of this article appeared in the March 28, 1984 edition of Education Week as E.D. Opposes Reauthorization of Asbestos, Immigrant Programs

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read