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Date:         Wed, 22 Jul 1992 23:39:44 EDT
From:         BAFEI@CONNCOLL.BITNET
Subject:      clippings 22 July

From:
>
>     --- Wednesday --- July 22, 1992 --- Vol. 2 --- No. 34 ---
>
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>          THE NATIONAL UPDATE ON AMERICA'S EDUCATION GOALS
>   An APN publication, supported by The Annie E. Casey Foundation
>          and the Business Coalition for Education Reform
>
>                   =====  BETTER SCHOOLS  =====
>
> *2   AMERICA 2000:  CAN IT SURVIVE PARTISAN DIFFERENCES?
>      Southern "would-be education reformers" met yesterday in
> Atlanta to discuss ways to execute Pres. Bush's education reform
> plan in their hometowns (Betsy White, ATLANTA CONSTITUTION).  The
> hot topic among several of the attendants seemed to be:  "Is
> [America 2000] a waste of time?" the newspaper writes.
>      Several of the educators voiced concern that AMERICA 2000, a
> Bush-administration initiative, could be stalled by "partisan
> infighting" or discarded altogether if the Democrats win the
> upcoming presidential election.
>      But the answer to concerns "was an emphatic no," writes the
> CONSTITUTION.  GA Gov. Zell Miller (D) and U.S. Ed Sec Lamar
> Alexander both agreed that improving the performance of U.S.
> students is too significant a goal to let partisan differences
> squash the plan.
>      Neither of the men, however, have refrained from partisan
> confrontation.  According to the CONSTITUTION, Miller "served as
> the designated verbal hit man" against Bush at last week's
> Democratic Convention.  Alexander said the fact that Miller spoke
> out against Bush, but also "sang the praises" of AMERICA 2000 at
> a GOP-organized event a week later, "sends the strongest possible
> signal" that the reform plan is bigger than partisan differences.
>      But some participants still question whether party politics
> will interfere with the reform plan.  "Who knows?  Anything can
> happen in politics," said Gwen Gantt, director of grants and
> special projects for Gwinnett County, GA, schools (7/22).
>
>
> *8   CAMPAIGN TRAIL:  BUSH TOUTS SCHOOL CHOICE TO PARENTS
>      President Bush hit the road yesterday to tout his school
> choice plan to parents in Philadelphia.  The president, speaking
> to a "receptive audience of Catholic clergy, parents and
> students," said he will revolutionize education in America (John
> Mashek, BOSTON GLOBE).
>      Bush attacked the Democratic-controlled Congress and said he
> would fight to get his choice plan, the "G.I. Bill for Children,"
> passed.  He also attacked the National Education Association,
> which opposes his plan, as an "arm of the opposition party ...
> fighting to keep things the way they are." (multi. cites)
>      "That's fine with our association," Bill Martin, NEA's
> director of communications said.  "If the president thinks we are
> an obstacle to funneling government funds to private schools,
> he's got the question right." (Frank Murray, WASH. TIMES)
>      The president apparently misstated a feature of his voucher
> plan when he said the grants would not involve "means testing."
> Aides say there is a $40,000 income ceiling, among other
> limitations (multi. cites).
>      Democratic nominee Bill Clinton supports greater choice in
> public schools for parents, but opposes including private schools
> in the choice mix.  Clinton has said Bush's scholarship plan
> undermines the public school system and violates the separation
> of church and state (multi. cites).
>      Bush also hit the stump in Garfield, NJ, where he "offered a
> pure campaign speech portraying the Democrats as 'old style'
> liberals." (Ann Devroy, WASH. POST)  He railed against those who
> "even encourage kids to hire lawyers and haul their parents into
> court," in an apparent reference to Hillary Clinton, and those
> who "want public schools to hand out birth control pills and
> devices to teen-aged kids." (multi. cites; 7/22)
>
> *9   REMEMBERING THE FORGOTTEN:  CLINTON & THE NON-COLLEGE-BOUND
>      Morton Kondracke "thanks" Bill and Hillary Clinton for
> remembering the forgotten 60% of students who never attended or
> never finished college in a piece in next week's NEW REPUBLIC.
> These are the people Clinton addresses in his youth
> apprenticeship program, "lifetime learning" ideas and European-
> style tax on corporations for worker training, writes Kondracke.
>      The author traces Clinton's interest in these issues to "a
> cozy little group" comprised of his wife Hillary, Robert Reich, a
> Harvard economist and Ira Magaziner, who is a board member of the
> National Center for Education and the Economy.  The four have
> known each other for 24 years.
>      Reich and Magaziner say that "upgrading the skills of
> workers is the most efficient way to improve American
> productivity and competitiveness."  And Kondracke writes that
> Clinton's training initiatives are "likely to do more to advance
> future prosperity" than his more widely known proposals for
> middle-class tax cuts.
>      According to Kondracke, Hillary Clinton has immersed
> herself in education and training issues for some time.  She
> helped produce the 1987 "landmark" report, "The Forgotten Half:
> Non-College Youth in America" and served on a commission that
> produced "an even more influential report, 'America's Choice:
> High Skills or Low Wages.'"  Central to America's Choice is a
> nationwide system of technical and professional certificates for
> workers, incentives for employers to train workers and an
> apprenticeship program.
>      The commission also traveled to six countries to study "play
> or pay" training schemes under which companies either train their
> own workers or contribute to a government pool to do so.  Part of
> Clinton's platform is a requirement that corporations contribute
> 1.5% of payroll for training, which is equal to that of France,
> but less than what is required in Germany, Sweden and Ireland.
> Japan requires 1%.
>      Kondracke writes that Clinton's championing of worker
> training "has forced the Bush White House to promote kindred
> 'empowerment' ideas."  Kondracke's prediction:  Clinton "is more
> likely to make non-college Americans a priority.  After all, it
> wasn't until he started hollering about it that Bush admitted
> there was a problem."  (July 27 edition)
>      ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL:  Clinton and his VP candidate Gore
> outlined their national education strategy yesterday in
> Louisville, KY (Clinton press release).  They highlighted as the
> main elements of their platform a Safe Schools Initiative to
> provide funds for violence-ridden schools; a Youth Opportunity
> Corps to match H.S. drop-outs with adults; and a National
> Apprenticeship Program that offers non-college-bound students
> training in vocational skills (7/21).

Regards,

Brett

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