Garrett A Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program

The Federal Highway Administration, otherwise known as the FHWA, is an agency operating in the United States Department of Transportation that is largely answerable for the management of the country's road transportation system.

The programs and initiatives of the FHWA are constantly steered by its general agency mission which is to"improve mobility on our Community's highways through nationwide leadership, innovation, and programme delivery."

In line with this mission, the Federal Highway Administration has just established the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program whereby it aims to improve the readiness of scholars in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by way of the application of curriculum development and a number of other activities that are related to transportation education.

The activities that are included in this investigation can include the following:

a) Internship programs that offer the target students with the experience in the transportation field

b) Programs and activities which will enable scholars to spend time observing active scientist and engineers while they're immersed in the transportation field

c) Programs and activities that highlight the development of applicable curriculum pertaining to examples and issues that are linked with transportation

The program is at first built to develop programmes that are aimed at the improvement of the target students' capabilities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The target scholars of the program are those who fall under the elementary and secondary college levels.

The Federal Highway Administration is set to administer funds in the amount of $1,800,000 to support the initiatives of 18 grant awardees as well as to financially support the appropriate planning, implementation, and execution of the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program.

The establishments and setups that are able to submit an application under the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program are the following:

a) Local education agencies (LEA)

b) State educational agencies (SEA)

Business establishments, non-profit, and for profit organizations are also eligible to enter into a cooperative agreement with the LEAs and SEAs to assist in the process of implementing the actions of the programme.

The Department of Transportation, the most important agency that's financing the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Education Program, is the nation's leading agency that is responsible for ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that is literally capable of meeting the requirements of the American people.

Michael Saunders is an editor of TopGovernmentGrants.com. He maintains Websites providing resources on small business grants and home improvement grants.

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Obama Education Plan

NCLB Has Demoralized Teachers, Students
The fact is, No Child Left Behind has done more to stigmatize and demoralize our students and teachers in struggling schools than it has to marshal the talent and the determination and the resources to turn them around.

That's what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, and that's what we must change in a fundamental way.

I want to lead a new era of mutual responsibility in education - one where we all come together for the sake of our children's success; an era where each of us does our part to make that success a reality - parents and teachers; leaders in Washington and citizens all across America.

I won't pretend that this will be easy. We must fix the failures of No Child Left Behind. We must provide the funding we were promised, and give our states the resources they need, and finally meet our commitment to special education.

But that alone is not an education policy. It's just a starting point.

Commit "Full Resources of the Federal Government"
A truly historic commitment to education - a real commitment - will require new resources and new reforms. It will require a willingness to break free from the same debates that Washington has been engaged in for decades - Democrat versus Republican; vouchers versus the status quo; more money versus more accountability.

And most of all, it will take a President who is honest about the challenges we face - who doesn't just tell everyone what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.

I am running to be that President. And that's why I'm proposing a comprehensive plan to give every American child the chance to receive the best education America has to offer - from the moment they're born to the day they graduate college.

As President, I will put the full resources of the federal government behind this plan. But to make it a reality, I will also ask more of teachers and principals; parents and students; schools and communities.

A few weeks ago, I introduced my plan to make college affordable by creating a $4,000 per year refundable tax credit that will cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public college or university. And yesterday, I unveiled my proposal to strengthen our community colleges by offering new degrees for emerging fields and rewarding schools that graduate more students.

Today, I want to talk about what we can do to prepare every student to succeed in college - preparation that begins at birth and continues with world-class schools, outstanding teachers, and transformative principals.

Part One: Affordable Early Childhood Education
The first part of my plan focuses on providing quality, affordable early childhood education to every American child.

We know what a difference early childhood programs make in the lives of our kids. Study after study proves that children in these programs - especially low-income children - are more likely to score higher in reading and math, more likely to graduate high school and attend college, more likely to hold a job and more likely to earn more on that job. And for every $1 we invest in these programs, we get $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, fewer health care costs, and less crime.

In recent years, states have been able to enroll nearly one million four year olds in pre-Kindergarten programs. That's a great success, but I believe we can do better.

We need to enroll more children and we need to start at an even earlier age. Because the fact is, studies show that from the time of conception to the first day of kindergarten, children's development progresses faster than at any other stage of life. By the age of three, 85% of the brain's core structure is already formed. Eighty-five percent.

So here's what we did in Illinois. As a state Senator, I helped create the Illinois Early Learning Council, which launched a program called Preschool for All. This has made us one of the first states to commit to a high quality early learning program that starts helping children from the day they're born.

It provides early care and education for new families as well as at-risk infants and toddlers, and offer at-risk three-year olds and all four-year-olds the chance to enroll in pre-Kindergarten programs.

There is no reason we can't and shouldn't replicate this all across America.

Children's First Agenda for Ages Zero to Five
As President, I will launch a Children's First Agenda that provides care, learning and support to families with children ages zero to five. We'll create Early Learning Grants to help states create a system of high-quality early care and education for all young children and their families.

We'll increase Head Start funding and quadruple Early Start to include a quarter of a million at-risk children.

I will create a Presidential Early Learning Council to coordinate this effort across all levels of government and ensure that we're providing these children and families with the highest quality programs.

And we'll help more working parents find a safe, affordable place to leave their children during the day by improving the educational quality of our child care programs and increasing the child care tax credit.

That's how we'll give our kids the best possible start in life, and that's the commitment America will make when I am President.

View the original article here

Bush Education Cuts

In February, President Bush released his $2.7 trillion budget for fiscal year 2006. Congress continues to grapple with this budget proposal and the shortfall impact on education. The final outcome won't be known until late summer 2005.

A budget is a blueprint of the budget's priorities and plans. It's a full-color snapshot of the budgeter's heart and soul. It's a monetary mission statement. To evaluate an administration, we must examine its budgets.

George Bush, who portrayed himself as an ?¢â‚¬?“education?¢â‚¬A? president, terminated 99 programs in his 2006 budget, including a whopping 48 programs from the US Education Department for a savings of $4.3 billion. He wants to replace those with new initiatives costing $2.3 billion.

Perspective is vital to understanding budget priorities. Take Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department, for instance. Total Defense spending in 2006 would be $421 billion, a 4.8%, or about $20 billion, increase.

Included in Defense spending would be $40 billion to build more lethal nuclear weapons; $7.8 billion to test a missile defense system; $9.4 billion for a new generation of war ships; $4.3 billion for F/A-22 Raptor fighters; $5 billion for the new Joint Strike fighter; $3.7 billion for C-13 military transports; even $3.4 billion for spiffy new Army uniforms.

A total of $73.6 billion. Thirty-six times the $2 billion in cuts to education for US students. The additions to our deadly nuclear arsenal cost 20 times Bush's budget cuts to education.

Program changes planned by Mr. Bush within the Education Department reveal startling motives. Virtually all 48 programs that Mr. Bush desires to end are intended to educate children, young adults and college students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged, limited English-proficient and even illiterate.

The President wants to replace these programs with $1.5 billion to hold high schools "accountable" (police and punish, not help) for teaching and providing "intervention" for "non-performing" students. He also plans to give teachers business-style bonuses of $500 million to improve test scores. The remaining $300 million will be invested in high-end academics as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and a Math/Science "Partnership" program.

Nothing wrong with supporting AP and IB programs and new math/science initiatives that are grounded in scientific thinking. Such programs, though, disproportionately benefit wealthier schools and districts, and upper middle-class families. And AP and IB students are segregated into better courses and facilities than mainstream students. Like a two-tier social class system.

Thus, George Bush's education budget cuts provide more funds for wealthier students, while taking educational opportunities and assistance away from poor, disabled and immigrant students. Just like all of Mr. Bush's other domestic spending plans.

Some of the education programs Mr. Bush has slated to kill are:

- Javits Gifted and Talented meets special needs of gifted students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged and limited English proficient

- Star Schools improved instruction in math, science and foreign language for disadvantaged, illiterate and disabled students

- Community Technology Centers creates technology centers for disadvantaged students in economically distressed areas to provide access to the internet and technology

- Upward Bound provides support to high schoolers from low-income families and low-income first-generation military veterans to succeed in pre-college performance.

- Talent Search increase number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and attend college

-All vocational education at the high school level

- Dropout Prevention

- Safe and Drug-Free Schools includes the wildly successful DARE program

- Civic Education

- Women's Educational Equity

- Elementary and High School Counseling

- Parental Information & Resource Centers assists parents whose children attend schools identified for improvements or corrections under No Child Left Behind to help their students to meet state and local academic standards

And every education program named after a Democrat:

- Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity intended to increase the number of students from low-come and minority backgrounds in law school; named after the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

- BJ Stupak Olympic Scholarship named after the deceased son of Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan)

And especially....the 20-year old pride and joy, and legacy, of Senator Robert C. Byrd, a member of Congress since 1953 and vocal Bush critic: the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program, the only national, merit-based scholarship program funded through the Department of Education.

Oops....formerly funded, if President Bush has his way. He proposed no cuts in programs named after Republicans.

View the original article here

Bush Education Cuts

In February, President Bush released his $2.7 trillion budget for fiscal year 2006. Congress continues to grapple with this budget proposal and the shortfall impact on education. The final outcome won't be known until late summer 2005.

A budget is a blueprint of the budget's priorities and plans. It's a full-color snapshot of the budgeter's heart and soul. It's a monetary mission statement. To evaluate an administration, we must examine its budgets.

George Bush, who portrayed himself as an ?¢â‚¬?“education?¢â‚¬A? president, terminated 99 programs in his 2006 budget, including a whopping 48 programs from the US Education Department for a savings of $4.3 billion. He wants to replace those with new initiatives costing $2.3 billion.

Perspective is vital to understanding budget priorities. Take Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department, for instance. Total Defense spending in 2006 would be $421 billion, a 4.8%, or about $20 billion, increase.

Included in Defense spending would be $40 billion to build more lethal nuclear weapons; $7.8 billion to test a missile defense system; $9.4 billion for a new generation of war ships; $4.3 billion for F/A-22 Raptor fighters; $5 billion for the new Joint Strike fighter; $3.7 billion for C-13 military transports; even $3.4 billion for spiffy new Army uniforms.

A total of $73.6 billion. Thirty-six times the $2 billion in cuts to education for US students. The additions to our deadly nuclear arsenal cost 20 times Bush's budget cuts to education.

Program changes planned by Mr. Bush within the Education Department reveal startling motives. Virtually all 48 programs that Mr. Bush desires to end are intended to educate children, young adults and college students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged, limited English-proficient and even illiterate.

The President wants to replace these programs with $1.5 billion to hold high schools "accountable" (police and punish, not help) for teaching and providing "intervention" for "non-performing" students. He also plans to give teachers business-style bonuses of $500 million to improve test scores. The remaining $300 million will be invested in high-end academics as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and a Math/Science "Partnership" program.

Nothing wrong with supporting AP and IB programs and new math/science initiatives that are grounded in scientific thinking. Such programs, though, disproportionately benefit wealthier schools and districts, and upper middle-class families. And AP and IB students are segregated into better courses and facilities than mainstream students. Like a two-tier social class system.

Thus, George Bush's education budget cuts provide more funds for wealthier students, while taking educational opportunities and assistance away from poor, disabled and immigrant students. Just like all of Mr. Bush's other domestic spending plans.

Some of the education programs Mr. Bush has slated to kill are:

- Javits Gifted and Talented meets special needs of gifted students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged and limited English proficient

- Star Schools improved instruction in math, science and foreign language for disadvantaged, illiterate and disabled students

- Community Technology Centers creates technology centers for disadvantaged students in economically distressed areas to provide access to the internet and technology

- Upward Bound provides support to high schoolers from low-income families and low-income first-generation military veterans to succeed in pre-college performance.

- Talent Search increase number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and attend college

-All vocational education at the high school level

- Dropout Prevention

- Safe and Drug-Free Schools includes the wildly successful DARE program

- Civic Education

- Women's Educational Equity

- Elementary and High School Counseling

- Parental Information & Resource Centers assists parents whose children attend schools identified for improvements or corrections under No Child Left Behind to help their students to meet state and local academic standards

And every education program named after a Democrat:

- Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity intended to increase the number of students from low-come and minority backgrounds in law school; named after the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

- BJ Stupak Olympic Scholarship named after the deceased son of Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan)

And especially....the 20-year old pride and joy, and legacy, of Senator Robert C. Byrd, a member of Congress since 1953 and vocal Bush critic: the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program, the only national, merit-based scholarship program funded through the Department of Education.

Oops....formerly funded, if President Bush has his way. He proposed no cuts in programs named after Republicans.

View the original article here

Obama '08 on Education

At a glance, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's 2008 campaign promises for reform of U.S. education were: Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward Teachers Reform for Kindergarten through High School Early Childhood Education College AffordabilityRecruit, Prepare, Retain, & Reward Teachers

Recruit Teachers: Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.

Prepare Teachers: Obama will require all schools of education to be accredited. He will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively.

Obama will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.

Retain Teachers: To support our teachers, Obama's plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. He will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices.

Reward Teachers: Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them: Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well. Reform for Kindergarten through High School

Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests.

He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner.

Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.

Make Math & Science Education a National Priority: Obama will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. He will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.

Address the Dropout Crisis: Obama will address the dropout crisis by passing his legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school - strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.

Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities: Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children.

Expand Summer Learning Opportunities: Obama's "STEP UP" plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.

Support College Outreach Programs: Obama supports outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare for college.

Support English Language Learners: Obama supports transitional bilingual education and will help Limited English Proficient students get ahead by holding schools accountable for making sure these students complete school.

View the original article here