Student Loan Programs

Statement before the Democratic Platform Committee

jruss — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:07:00 -0500

Al Shanker advocates that the democratic presidential candidate adopt the AFT''s program on a number of issues. The AFT''s ideas include: expanding the federal government''s role in funding education; increasing access to post-secondary education through tuition assistance; creating a system of federal daycare centers run through the public schools; providing federal financial assistance to state and local governments, especially for welfare and medical costs; and extending federal collective bargaining laws and pension protections to public employees. read more »

Testimony before the Senate Policy Forum

jruss — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:58:50 -0500

Al Shanker argues strongly that President Reagan's budget proposal should be rejected and overhauled. Reagan's proposals include a 32% cut in education funding and a 40% cut in children's nutrition funding. These cuts are larger than for other agencies, and Shanker deplores the disproportionality as well as what the cuts would mean for schools. Not only would educational programs be endangered, but the nutrition cut would also seriously jeopardize the school lunch program. read more »

Testimony to the Democratic Party Platform Committee

jruss — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:47:39 -0500

Al Shanker advises the Democratic Party Platform Committee that education is a cornerstone of a democratic society. He further advises that the 1988 presidential platform set the following education goals: fund education reform research; increase aid to programs like Head Start, Chapter I, and Education for the Handicapped, and give priority to programs that address child health and nutrition; continue financial support for college students in the form of Pell grants, student loans, and the like; improve teacher recruitment; and invest in job training for the unemployed.