Nutrition standards introduced

INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE FEDERAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH of south dakota in the house of representatives

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Ms. HERSETH. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation
comprised of three sections to improve federal nutrition assistance.
The National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are two of the
Nation's most successful and popular programs. Each day almost 30
million children participate in the lunch program and 9 million in the
breakfast programs. Yet, there are children who are eligible for the
programs who cannot participate.

Source: Congressional Record, http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=33002614034+4+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

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NCLB 2.0 Part 1

NCLB 2.0 Part 1: "Congressman George Miller (D-CA) took the helm of the Committee on Education and Labor, one of the most important positions on Capitol Hill. Miller, a long-term advocate for improvement in public education (and a member of The George Lucas Educational Foundation's advisory board) has a busy year ahead: The No Child Left Behind Act is up for reauthorization."

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NPR : Rural Schools Affected By Battle over Bush Plan

NPR : Rural Schools Affected By Battle over Bush Plan: "Rural schools in California are facing a crisis because of a fight over President Bush's plan to sell $800 million worth of national forest.

Many rural schools get a huge portion of their budget from the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which expired last year. Bush proposed selling 300,000 acres of national forests as a way of funding and renewing this Rural Schools Act, but that proposal was defeated. It's now back, as part of the president's recently released budget, and the White House is withholding that funding for rural school districts unless the forest sale goes through."

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Senate Eyes Stricter School Lunch Standards

Yesterday, Senators introduced and began discussions on legislation that would enforce stricter regulations on unhealthy snack foods and beverages found in public schools. 'Unhealthy weight, even obesity, among children has increased dramatically over the past 30 to 40 years,' Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing. Harkin, chairman of the Agriculture Committee introduced legislation that will update school nutrition mandates that are almost 30 years old. The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act would update nutrition standards for snack foods sold in school cafeterias alongside the regular school meals, and would apply those standards everywhere on school grounds, including in vending machines and school stores.

Although junk foods are not allowed in the cafeteria, federal law permits the sale of junk foods through vending machines and stores anywhere on school grounds including just outside the cafeteria, though some local school districts may have tougher measures in places. According to a Government Accountability Office report, 99 percent of high schools, 97 percent of middle schools and 83 percent of elementary schools have vending machines, school stores or snack bars. The most common items sold out of school vending machines, school." Consumer News, 3/6/2007.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/03/senate_school_lunch.html

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President Announces Intent to Nominate Briggs as Asst. Secretary

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate Kerri L. Briggs to serve in his administration as Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education. The White House today released the following statement:

The President intends to designate Kerri Layne Briggs, of Virginia, to be Acting Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education and nominate her to be Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education. Dr. Briggs currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development in the Department of Education. Prior to this, she served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education. Earlier in her career, she served as Director of Evaluation at the University of Texas. Dr. Briggs received her bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her master's and PhD from the University of Southern California.
ED Press Release: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/03/03062007.html

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