109th Congress
1st Session
October 11, 2005
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Introduced by Senator Lisa Song Sutton (AZ-R)
S. A Bill
To provide under-privileged schools with better educational resources to ensure that all
children receive a quality education.
Be it enacted by the Senate of the United States of America in the Congressional
Simulation assembled.
Section 1. Short Title.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Provision for Under-Privileged Educational Resources
Act.’
Section 2. Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to provide our nation’s under-privileged schools with
educational tools to enhance student performance, teacher quality, and student/parent
motivation for higher education, resulting in the insurance that all children have an
opportunity for quality education.
Section 3. Policies and Specific Enactments
Sec 301. Definitions.
A. An under-privileged school must meet the following requirements:
1.
2.
3.
4.
There exists a high proportion of disadvantaged students.
There exists a high proportion of less-experienced teachers.
Schools finances are in poor condition.
Overall grade point averages and test scores are significantly lower than
surrounding schools.
B. A poor quality teacher can embody two or more of these characteristics:
1. Lack of certification: holding less than a bachelor’s degree.
2. Lack of professional development regarding instructional training education.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lack of field experience in a public education setting.
Lack of instructional entrance exam proficiency.
Lack of organization or flexibility.
Lack of pedagogy/material knowledge: received degree in a certain discipline
but instructs in another.
Section 4. Findings.
Congress makes the following findings:
1. Students attending under-privileged schools tend to reflect overall lower grade
points averages and tests scores than students attending middle-higher end
schools.
2. Students attending under-privileged schools tend to have a significantly lower
high school graduation rate than students attending middle-higher end schools.
3. Students attending under-privileged schools tend to lack educational
motivation and come from homes that lack parental support in the pursuit of
higher education.
4. Generally, English is not the dominant language of students in an underprivileged school’s environment, resulting in a lack of understanding and
poorer academic performance.
5. There is an abundance of poor quality teachers in under-privileged schools,
resulting in a direct impact on poor student comprehension and performance.
Section 5. Goals.
The goals of this Act are as follows:
1. To ensure that all children have an equal opportunity for a quality public
education.
2. To foster student/parent motivation in the promotion of higher education.
3. To provide under-privileged schools with better resources in the form of
quality teachers and monetary supplement.
4. To decrease the academic difference between students at under-privileged
schools and those who are not.
Section 6. Authorization of Appropriations.
A. Local Educational Agency GrantsFor the purpose of carrying out said Act, there are authorized to be appropriated:
(1) $13,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
(2) $16,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
(3) $18,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
(4) $20,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
(5) $22,750,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; and
(6) $25,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
B. State ReservationsEach State shall reserve 2 percent of the amount the State receives per the Act for
fiscal years 2005 and 2006, and 4 percent of the amount received under such
subpart for fiscal years 2007 through 2010, to carry out the State's responsibilities
and support for local educational agencies.
C. Federal ActivitiesFor the purpose of carrying out said sections, there are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005 and each of the 5
succeeding fiscal years.
Section 7. Effective Date.
This Act, and the amendments made by the Act, shall take effect on October 11, 2005.
Contact: L. Sutton
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SENATOR SUTTON INTRODUCES BILL TO AID UNDER-PRIVILEDGED
SCHOOLS
Senator Lisa Sutton (AZ-R) has recently introduced the ‘Provision for UnderPrivileged Educational Resources Act.’ It is a congressional bill designed to aid underprivileged schools in the broad areas of enhancing motivation, student performance,
teacher quality, and opportunity.
Alarmingly, there are prevalent characteristics directly correlated between underprivileged schools and low student performance. Some of these characteristics include: a
very poor financial status of said school, student grade point averages and test scores are
significantly lower than students from surrounding schools, a disproportionably high
number of disadvantaged/low income students, as well as a disproportionably high
number of less-experienced/low quality teachers. Sutton strongly feels that if these
characteristics are not diminished or eliminated, then students attending under-privileged
schools will be continually trapped in a cycle of non-accountability and low
achievements.
“This Act is absolutely essential in the efforts to aid today’s education system.
The goals and implementations laid out in this proposal are very feasible and would no
doubt benefit our country’s public education. I urge my fellow Senators, regardless of
party affiliation, to support this bill. Our constituents need a strong educational plan, such
as this one,” said Sutton.
Dear Colleagues of the 109th Congress:
I have decided to introduce a bill titled the ‘Provision for Under-Privileged
Educational Resources Act.’ This bill provides means for the federal government to make
tools available to under-privileged schools. These tools are broadly defined in four major
aspects: the enhancement of student performance, the enhancement of teacher quality,
student/parent motivation for higher education, and an insurance that all children have an
opportunity for quality education.
Regardless of your particular state, or whether or not you attended public school,
we have all been exposed to our nation’s public education system. As members of the
United States Congress, we have a duty to respond to the needs of our constituents. A
majority of our constituents rely on public education to better their lives and the lives of
their families. Sadly, those students attending an under-privileged school are at an
alarmingly high risk of never achieving their goals and dreams.
One cannot be satisfied with under-privileged schools systematically being the
lowest-performing schools in their district each year. One cannot be satisfied with the
ever-cycling drop out rate among students who attend these schools. One cannot be
satisfied with the fact that under-privileged children are being instructed by teachers who
possess a plethora of poor qualities, ultimately resulting in low student performance. A
brief assessment of our nation’s current public education system shows how clearly my
particular bill is needed.
I urge you to take the time to assess my bill proposal. It offers realistic goals to a
sadly, very real problem. Our country’s children need this bill. The United States public
education system needs this bill. Your constituents need you to recognize the reality of
this damaging problem and be supportive of a feasible, real solution. Please offer your
support for the ‘Provision for Under-Privileged Education Resources Act.’
Sincerely,
Senator Lisa S. Sutton (AZ-R)