President Signs H.R. 4872; Announces Community College Summit Led By Dr. Biden

Today at Northern Virginia Community College’s (NOVA) Alexandria campus, President Barack Obama signed H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. H.R. 4872 represents a significant infusion of funds for higher education, including annual Pell Grant program funding increases and new competitive career-training grants, which will be available to community colleges. ACCT has created a summary of the education-related provisions within H.R. 4872. The summary can be found at: http://www.acct.org/HR4872%20Summary.pdf

ACCT issued a statement in response to the signing of H.R. 4872, which is available at: http://www.acct.org/2010_ACCT_Statement_HR_4872_03-29-2010.pdf.

Dr. Jill Biden, U.S. Second Lady and professor at NOVA introduced the President. President Obama noted during his remarks that “we need to invest…in our students. We need to invest in our community colleges. We need to invest in the future of this country. We need to meet the goal I set last year and graduate more of our students than any other nation by the year 2020.”

President Obama also said, “And because community colleges like NOVA are so essential to a competitive workforce, I’ve asked your outstanding professor, Dr. Jill Biden…to host a summit on community colleges at the White House this fall. And we’re going to bring everybody together, from educators to students, experts to business leaders. We are going to bring everybody together to share innovative ideas about how we can help students earn degrees and credentials, and to forge private sector partnerships so we can better prepare America’s workforce and America’s workers to succeed in the 21st century.” ACCT will continue to provide updates on the summit as the planning for the event progresses.

Additionally, with the signing of the bill, the White House released a fact sheet on the Community College and Career Training Grant program. According to the fact sheet, community colleges could apply for funds to do the following:

• Work with businesses: Colleges could build partnerships with businesses and the workforce investment system to create career pathways through which workers will earn new credentials and promotions through step-by-step, worksite education programs that build essential skills. Colleges will work closely with employers to design training that is relevant to the local labor market and likely to lead to employment and careers.
• Create education partnerships: Colleges could work with other educational institutions to expand course offerings and promote the transfer of credit among colleges.
• Teach basic skills: Colleges could improve remedial and adult education programs, accelerating students’ progress and integrating developmental classes into academic and vocational classes.
• Meet students’ needs: Colleges could offer their students more than just a course catalog through comprehensive, personalized services to help them plan their careers, stay in school, and graduate.
• Develop online courses: Colleges could create open online course materials such as interactive tutors.
  

The fact sheet can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/100326-community-college-fact-sheet.pdf

President Obama’s and Dr. Biden’s remarks can be found online at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-and-dr-jill-biden-signing-health-care-and-education-reconciliatio

Full video of the event can be viewed at: http://www.c-span.org/flvPop.aspx?src=project/health/health033010_obama.flv&s=57.077&e=2252.05&live=N&pop=Y&srv=fms.c-span.org&remote=N Read more!

Secretary Duncan Testifies on Education Budget Request

February 25, 2010 — Today, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before the House Budget Committee to outline the Department’s budget for FY 2011. The budget outlines $10.6 billion for the American Graduation Initiative. Secretary Duncan’s testimony can be found here: http://budget.house.gov/hearings/2010/02.25.2010_Duncan_Testimony.pdf

The Department of Education’s budget information can be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/edlite-section1.html

Yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing on “A Stronger Workforce Investment System for a Stronger Economy.” Most notably, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) stated that Congress would pass the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) this year. Dr. Robert Templin, Jr., President of Northern Virginia Community College testified on behalf of community colleges and outlined the priorities of AACC and ACCT on WIA reauthorization.

The WIA priorities and background information can be found here: http://www.acct.org/advocacy/priorities/

To view the hearing, click here:
http://help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=99586896-5056-9502-5d82-cabe2d595170

On the Jobs legislation front, House Congressional leaders are now working to bring the Senate Jobs legislation to the House floor for consideration.

In other news, the White House earlier this week announced President Barack Obama’s intention to nominate Dr. Eduardo M. Ochoa as Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. Dr. Ochoa is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sonoma State University. He is responsible for the University’s academic programs, strategic planning, and overall diversity initiative.
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Jill Biden Blogs about Visit to HVCC with President Obama

As part of her ongoing community college public advocacy activities, Dr. Jill Biden has written articles for the official White House blog as well as the Washington Post's education blog detailing her visit to Hudson Valley Community College in New York with President Obama.

On the White House blog, Biden writes that "I wanted to share some photos and thoughts about my day yesterday; I was able to spend time on two areas I care very deeply about: community colleges and military families."

For the Washington Post's blog, she writes, "People often ask me why I choose to teach at a community college. Well—the answer is simple: It’s my students.

"Every day in my classroom," she continues, "I am inspired by their commitment, their struggles, and their belief in education as the best hope for a brighter future for themselves and their families. Every day in my classroom I also see the power of education to break down barriers and to open students’ eyes to the possibilities around them."

Biden notes on the White House blog that she is back in her Northern Virginia Community College classroom today teaching English.

Read Biden's articles at:

• White House Blog
• The Answer Sheet/Washington Post Education Page

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Commentary: Our community colleges are a national treasure by Dr. Jill Biden

Commentary: Our community colleges are a national treasure

By Jill Biden
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service

On Tuesday in Michigan, President Barack Obama announced an important national goal of 5 million additional community college graduates by the year 2020, and a landmark federal investment in community colleges to make it possible. It's a plan that makes sense, as I know firsthand.

I have been an educator for 28 years and I have taught in the community college system for more than 16 years. I don't have to look any further than my classroom to see the power of community colleges to change lives. My students enter the classroom from many different educational, economic and cultural backgrounds, but the community college system puts them on the same path of opportunity: It gives them a sense of confidence that they can achieve what they set out to achieve, and a marketable skill set that will enable them to do it. By supporting community colleges and their students around the country, this administration is expanding the future for millions of Americans.

In the United States there are almost 1,200 community colleges among our 4,100 public and private institutions of higher education. All together, community colleges serve 11.5 million students. As their name suggests, community colleges are uniquely able to address the needs of their communities. They are flexible, offering specialized training programs to address workforce shortages, and often partnering with local businesses to meet the emerging needs of their regions. That is why community colleges have seen the fastest growth among U.S. higher education institutions over the last three decades. The grants that President Obama announced Tuesday will allow community colleges to meet the needs of this rapidly growing enrollment by funding innovative programs that will increase graduation rates, make courses more relevant to business needs, and strengthen ties to high schools and other colleges and universities.

Obama's goal is for the United States to once again have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020 - and he's counting on community colleges to help make good on that promise. I know America's community colleges are up to the task. The grants he announced Tuesday will help these institutions renovate, modernize and expand campus facilities to serve additional students.

I have seen how community colleges fill important gaps, granting two-year degrees, teaching English to immigrants, providing vocational skills training and certification, and teaching basic academic skills to those who may not yet be ready to pursue a four-year degree. It's also hard to ignore the financial advantages: In today's challenging economy, community colleges are an increasingly affordable way for students from middle-class families to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate degree before moving on to a four-year university.
Community colleges typically have open admissions policies, providing training and learning opportunities for everyone who wants them. They are essential to our higher education mission, often providing access to a quality education for students who would otherwise not have that option.

Community colleges make so much sense for so many. From a policy perspective, they make sense; from an economic perspective, they make sense. But I am a teacher, and my experience with community colleges is personal. People sometimes ask me why I choose to teach at a community college, and why I have continued to teach since the presidential inauguration in January. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would keep teaching. The reason is simple: It's the students.

I have always said that my students are my heroes, and this is no exaggeration. I am profoundly moved by their determination to learn, and their quest to make a better life for themselves and their families. In my classes I find single parents who come to school in the evening, weary from a long day, yet eager to create a brighter future for their children. I find men and women who rush to class at the end of a busy work day. It's not easy - but they are determined to be the first in their family to attend college. I see recently unemployed workers who are looking for new skills in growing fields like health care, teaching, information technology and green technology. I see immigrants struggling to learn English who discover that America is indeed a land of opportunity; a place where education opens doors to what is possible.

And I am thrilled that this administration is investing in opening those doors even wider.

I have always said that community colleges are one of America's best-kept secrets - and we have a president who is supports their contribution, bringing more students to community colleges so that they can gain the skills and the confidence they need to succeed in a new era. I can't think of a better investment.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Jill Biden, who has a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria. She is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or its editors.© 2009, Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services Read more!

President Obama Highlights the Importance of Community Colleges

Today, President Barack Obama held a press conference to address the nation’s rising unemployment rate, which now stands at 8.9 percent, with 539,000 jobs lost in April of this year. At the conference, President Obama announced a significant change in the unemployment benefit rules, which stipulates that unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for education- and training-related financial aid.

Specifically, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. "The idea here,” said President Obama, “is to fundamentally change our approach to unemployment in this country, so that it's no longer just a time to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a better job. That's what our unemployment system should be--not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future." As part of this new plan, states will be encouraged to change rules that prevent the unemployed from enrolling in education or training courses because they are supposed to actively look for a job while taking government benefits.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis have collaborated on the launch of a new website, http://www.opportunity.gov/, which provides the necessary information for unemployed workers about the array of financial opportunities open to them.

In other major news, President Obama announced that Dr. Jill Biden, a professor at Northern Virginia Community College and Second Lady of the United States, will “lead a national effort to raise awareness about what we're doing to open the doors to our community colleges.”

President Obama stated that “in the weeks to come, I will also lay out a fundamental rethinking of our job-training, vocational education, and community college programs. It's time to move beyond the idea that we need several different programs to address several different problems--we need one comprehensive policy that addresses our comprehensive challenges.”

To watch the President’s speech:
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/Media/2009/05/08/HP/R/18388/April+Unemployment+hits+89.aspx
Read a transcript of the President’s speech at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Job-Creation-and-Job-Training-5/8/09/

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Middle Class Task Force Meets on College Affordability

The White House Task Force on the Middle Class, headed by Vice President Joe Biden, held a meeting in St. Louis, Missouri to discuss college affordability. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Cecilia Rouse, of the Council on Economic Advisers, and Dr. Jill Biden, professor at Northern Virginia Community College were also part of the panel of the event. VP Biden outlined the goal of making college affordable through Pell Grants, student loans, tax credits and other means. VP Biden also called for the Treasury Department and the Secretary of Education to study ways of making 529 accounts more effective and reliable.

Additionally, the task force staff prepared a report outlining importance of higher education and the relative costs per sector. In the report, its states that community colleges play an important role in the affordability discussion. The task force staff report can be found here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/staff_report_college_affordability1.pdf Read more!