Ehrlich on Washington column, July 26, 1999

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of July 26, 1 999 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Improving Teacher Quality for America’s Children Like many of you, I will never forget the special teachers who put forth the extra effort, took the time to care, and pushed me to succeed. We all have a special place in our hearts and minds for our own Mrs. Nortons and Coach Stevens. After parents, teachers play the most important role in educating our children. As America’s heroes, public school teachers, from Dundalk to Bel Air, from Parkville to Essex, dedicate themselves day in and day out to prepare our children for the future. It is the quality of these teachers, however, which is a critical factor in the academic success of students. Teachers must have access to the training and tools they need to meet their commitment to students and parents, because nothing is more important to securing America’s future than ensuring a high- quality education for our children. Recently, Congress passed the Teacher Empowerment Act (TEA) with strong bipartisan support. TEA emphasizes teacher quality, but does not federalize teacher quality programs or put more power in Washington. TEA reduces class size, with local schools- not the federal government- deciding how best to achieve this goal. The Act consolidates and streamlines teacher preparation programs, but does not establish another federal program for local teachers to follow.