Welcome to MABE's Federal Relations Page

Quick links:
FRN News
 Weekly Highlights from NSBA

Breaking News from NSBA

Great News! President Signs Supplemental with Medicaid Provision!

On the morning of June 30, 2008, the President signed the War Supplemental Appropriations that included a moratorium on the Medicaid rule eliminating certain transportation and administration reimbursements to schools. The Senate's June 26th vote on the measure, which included the same language as the House passed June 20, was an overwhelming 92-6.

Now that the bill has been signed, federal Medicaid reimbursements to schools for the administrative and transportation services that they provide to eligible students will continue until at least April 1, 2009.

Thank you for all of your hard work in keeping up the pressure on your members of Congress.

Your actions made a critical difference!

What is the Federal Relations Network?

The National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network (FRN) involves
local school board members from every congressional district in the country
who are committed to grassroots advocacy
for public education. The FRN gives you an opportunity to make a difference in the
education of our nation’s public school
children. The ultimate goal of your FRN
advocacy is to make public education a top priority of the federal government.

 

How does MABE participate in FRN?

MABE's FRN Committee is chaired by Gary Bauer, Carroll County, and meets throughout the year to discuss pending issues and coordinate meetings on Capitol Hill.

MABE's FRN Committee is comprised of board members appointed to represent the association in communicating NSBA and MABE positions to Maryland's federal delegation, including our two U.S. Senators and eight members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In addition, MABE representatives attend the annual FRN conference in Washington, DC, and participate in the "Day on the Hill" congressional office visits.

MABE encourages all boards of education to participate in FRN and engage in advocacy at the federal level to ensure that our federal officials are well informed on the priorities and perspectives of local school systems and the fiscal and policy issues arising under the myriad federal programs impacting public education.

Maryland's FRN Committee with Dr. Freeman Hrabowski III, President of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a key note
speaker at FRN's 2008 national conference.

FRN News

MABE's FRN committee and local school system staff met on Monday, June 16 with congressional staff from the offices of Senators Mikulski and Cardin, and the offices of Representatives Hoyer, Sarbanes, and Van Hollen. MABE was joined by Reggie Felton, NSBA Director of Federal Relations (and former Montgomery County Board of Education member).

The meeting provided an opportunity for attendees to share perspectives and background on issues ranging from NCLB reauthorization and IDEA funding to the recent introduction of the environmental education initiative, the "No Child Left Inside Act."

Gary Bauer, FRN Committee Chair, thanked Robin Juliano, Senior Legislative Assistant with Senator Mikulski, for coordinating the meeting. John Woolums, MABE's Director of Governmental Relations, highlighted the association's positions on NCLB, MSDE's federal priorities, and recent General Assembly actions on federal issues. Issues arising in the 2008 session in Annapolis included high performance school buildings, military recruiter access to students, the interstate compact on military children, and the failed legislation to amend the graduation rate calculation.

Congressional staff provided updates on the status of federal appropriations and several pending bills, including:

H.R. 6239 - The NCLB Recess Until Reauthorization Act, which would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (NCLB) to suspend temporarily the process of identifying schools and local educational agencies as in need of improvement and of imposing sanctions on such schools and local educational agencies;

H.R. 2343 - The Education Begins at Home Act, which would expand quality programs of early childhood home visitation that increase school readiness, child abuse and neglect prevention, and early identification of developmental and health delays, including potential mental health concerns, and for other purposes; and

H.R. 3036 - The No Child Left Inside Act, which would amend NCLB to authorize states to use federal funds for the development of K-12 plans for environmental education and teacher training to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate.

All in attendance agreed that the meeting provided a valuable forum for sharing federal and local perspectives on the wide range of federal policies and programs impacting Maryland's public school systems.

Another meeting is tentatively scheduled for early December.

For more information on MABE's FRN activities contact John Woolums, MABE's Director of Governmental Relations, at jwoolums@mabe.org.

 


What are MABE's positions on federal issues?

MABE has adopted resolutions on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

NCLB Resolution

IDEA Resolution

 


MABE also monitors federal issues being considered by the State Board of Education and General Assembly.

The Maryland State Board of Education's federal priorities

Maryland's NCLB State Accountability Plan

 

MABE is pleased to provide improved access to the following NSBA federal relations resources.

NSBA's Weekly Federal Highlights

Federal Regulations and Resources - Federal Agency Guidance for Public Schools (NSBA) (May 28, 2008)

 

 

 


Additional NSBA FRN Resources

 

 



Weekly Federal Highlights from NSBA (July 18, 2008)

Second Supplemental Appropriations Bill scheduled

The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider a draft for a second FY08 supplemental appropriations bill this Tuesday, July 22.  If you have senators who serve on the Appropriations Committee, please contact them to urge their vote in favor of the measure, which is slated to include funding for school repairs and modernization and the “Secure Rural Schools” program. 

NSBA will forward additional details as soon as possible regarding the supplemental.  View NSBA’s letter to Senate Appropriations Committee leadership urging strong support for funding for school repairs and modernization and NSBA’s letter to the House Education & Labor Committee in support of the 21st Century High-Performing Public School Facilities Act (H.R. 3021), which was passed by the House in June.

Senate housing bill and local property tax revenues

The Senate recently passed its version of the Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008, clearing the way for House consideration of the bill next week.  The legislation initially included language that would have affected local and state authority over property tax revenues used for education. Thanks to your grassroots advocacy, NSBA has worked to negotiate an exception in the bill to address property tax revenues used for “funding for pre-school, primary, secondary, or higher education.''  NSBA is working to ensure that this exception is broad enough, however, to address the concerns of all school districts, local governments and states with tax policies that are governed by means other than initiatives/referenda (e.g. jurisdictions where local school boards or county officials set the property tax rate, or where education funding is part of an overall general budget).

 NSBA will forward additional updates and action alerts as more information becomes available.  View the roll call of the Senate vote.

NSBA Advocacy Webinar to prepare for the August congressional recess
Register for NSBA's Advocacy Webinar on July 23rd (11:00 a.m. EDT) to prepare for the August recess. 
Learn about the status of legislation on the key issues and what Congress needs to do to help your schools before they adjourn for the elections. NSBA staff will provide talking points to help you to focus your message to your members of Congress, and suggestions for setting up your meetings.  You will also learn how you can involve your local media to make a larger impact.  Register here.

 

New Info: Senate Committee Approves Limits on Expiring DC Voucher Program
As noted in the Weekly Highlights last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved S. 3260, the FY09 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill that includes funding for the District of Columbia, and placed new limitations on the city's federally funded school voucher program, while clearly indicating that future funding is in doubt. The Committee recommended $14 million for vouchers in FY09, a cut from the current year's $14.8 million and below the Administration’s request for $18 million. The full committee report was not yet public last week, but the key details can now be shared.  

 

The committee stated that in order to receive any federal funds, participating private schools would have to hold a D.C. occupancy permit and employ core subject teachers who hold bachelor's degrees. Though these are extremely minimal standards by any reasonable measure, a GAO report from 2007 identified voucher schools that did not meet even these basic standards. The committee also made explicit that the voucher program, created as a 5-year pilot, is expiring, and that expenditure of any unobligated funds from FY09 or receipt of future funds (beyond FY09) will only occur if Congress reauthorizes the program and the D.C. city government enacts legislation approving that reauthorization. Congressional reauthorization at this time is widely considered unlikely. The FY09 funding is a compromise that appears to reflect lawmakers' desire to provide one more year of funds along with clear public notice to families currently in the voucher program that it is expiring. Further making that point, the committee bill also directs that any funds be used solely for existing program students, not new applicants.

 

NSBA has urged Congress to let the voucher program expire and discontinue funding for it; however we appreciate the explicit “phase-out” language included in the Senate committee report. At this time, the bill is not scheduled for a floor vote in the Senate. The House bill, which passed the House Appropriations Committee without the phase-out or accountability language, is not scheduled for floor action at this time either. NSBA will keep you posted on potential next steps.


Federal Links & Resources

NSBA Federal Relations Network (FRN)

Thomas: Congressional Bill Status and Information

FIND & CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

 THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT (NCLB)

         
 THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)


Maryland's Federal Delegation

U.S. Senators

Barbara A. Mikulski (D)
 503 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2003
Phone: (202) 224-4654
Fax: (202) 224-8858
mikulski.senate.gov

Benjamin L. Cardin (D)
 B40B Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2002
Phone: (202) 224-4524
Fax: (202) 224-1651
cardin.senate.gov

U.S. House of Representatives
Wayne T. Gilchrest (R) 
Maryland-1st, Republican
2245 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2001
Phone: (202) 225-5311
www.gilchrest.house.gov		 Steny H. Hoyer (D)
Maryland-5th, Democrat
1705 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2005
Phone: (202) 225-4131
www.hoyer.house.gov
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Maryland-2nd, Democrat
1630 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2002
Phone: (202) 225-3061
www.dutch.house.gov 		Roscoe G. Bartlett
Maryland-6th, Republican
2412 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2006
Phone: (202) 225-2721
www.bartlett.house.gov
John P. Sarbanes 
Maryland-3rd, Democrat
 426 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2003
Phone: (202) 225-4016
Fax: (202) 225-9219
sarbanes.house.gov
Elijah E. Cummings  
Maryland-7th, Democrat
2235 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2007
Phone: (202) 225-4741
www.house.gov/cummings
Albert Russell Wynn  
 Maryland-4th, Democrat
2470 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2004
Phone: (202) 225-8699
Fax: (202) 225-8714
www.wynn.house.gov 		Chris Van Hollen, Jr.  
Maryland-8th, Democrat
1419 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-2008
Phone: (202) 225-5341 www.house.gov/vanhollen