On the Web
The Department of Education has found a new medium to help publicize its Partnership for Family Involvement in Education: the Internet site of USA Today.
Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley announced the alliance last week at a reception at the Newseum, the museum of the news media run by the Freedom Forum in Arlington, Va. The foundation focuses on civil liberties issues.
“Because of this new public-private partnership, millions of Americans will have a new interactive tool they can use to find out how families can get involved in education and share ideas that work,” Mr. Riley said.
“When families are actively involved in education, three good things happen: Students get better grades, they are better behaved in class, and they are more likely to go on to college,” he added.
The Internet site will feature Education Department research and “best practices” information on how families can help their children learn. For instance, one article stresses the importance of parents’ spending one hour each weekday to read with their children or help with homework.
The Web site--www.pfie.ed.gov, or education.usatoday.com--will focus on three areas: current education topics, issues that affect education, and links to other state and local agencies.
Funding report
The Committee for Education Funding has released its report on the voting records of the members of the 105th Congress--and the group is quite pleased with what it found.
“This [1997-98] session Congress lived up to its promise to America’s students and made substantial investments for increased education programs,” CEF President Kenneth McInerney said in a statement released with the voting report, which the group publishes every two years.
The CEF, a Washington coalition of education groups that lobbies for increased federal education funding, sent a letter to members of Congress reiterating the fund’s position shortly before each key vote. The nonpartisan group looked at 14 votes for the just-ended two-year 105th congressional session--six from the Senate, eight from the House--on education funding issues and compared members’ votes with CEF positions.
The group has mailed copies of the report to all of its members and to congressional staffs.
For a free copy, call the CEF office at (202) 383-0083, or write to CEF, 122 C St. N.W., Suite 280, Washington, DC 20001.
--JOETTA L. SACK federal@epe.org
