Jeffries Bill Helps Spouses & Children of Those Who Made Ultimate Sacrifice
In advance of the forthcoming Memorial Day holiday, Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) are introducing the Fry Scholarship Enhancement Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to deliver expanded student aid assistance to the surviving spouses and children of service members who died in the line of duty.
“American soldiers lay their lives on the line each and every day to keep this nation safe. Helping their spouses and children pay for college is the very least we can do to show our appreciation for their bravery and unyielding courage,” said Jeffries. “The families impacted by this bill have a loved one who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We must continue to assist them in every way possible.”
The bill would extend the existing Yellow Ribbon Program, an educational assistance provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, which allows institutions of higher learning to enter into agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs to match a certain amount of the tuition and fees not covered by the basic Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
Currently, the Yellow Ribbon program is available to veterans utilizing Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits and the dependents to whom a service member transferred benefits. However, the program excludes Fry Scholarship recipients, who are specifically dependents of service members who die in the line of duty. The Fry Scholarship Enhancement Act would correct this imbalance in the current law and provide important educational support for the family members of our brave heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice.
Deutsch Gets Extension of Half-Day UPK Sign Ups
Sheepshead Bay City Councilman Chaim Deutsch announced yesterday a week-long extension to the half-day UPK application period.
The original application due date is today, Friday, May 22, but it will now be extended one week to Friday, May 29.
After being contacted by local community leaders and institutions, Deutsch reached out to Mayor Bill de Blasio to request extra time for applicants. Yesterday, de Blasio informed Deutsch of the extension.
“I am extraordinarily grateful to Mayor de Blasio for agreeing to extend the deadline by another week for the many schools that are struggling to complete their applications in time. This half-day UPK program is absolutely essential to maintain the quality Pre-K classes in numerous non-public schools,” said Deutsch. “I am particularly appreciative of Mayor de Blasio’s personal interest in ensuring that half-day UPK is available and accessible to the scores of institutions that are eager to provide both secular and religious education to their Pre-K students.”
Deutsch worked together with his colleagues in the NYC Council to ensure that the half-day UPK program would be available for the 2015-2016 school year, and the original Request for Proposal (RFP) was released on May 1. For many non-public schools, the full-day UPK program, which required 6 hours and 20 minutes of secular instruction, was impossible to implement in their pre-kindergarten classes. The half-day program, which only requires 2 and ½ hours of secular education per day, is a better suited program for many of these institutions.
Clinton Campaign Calls For Brooklyn Volunteers & Supporters
Volunteers and supporters will be joining to share in their expression of support for Hillary and to discuss methods for best getting involved with the campaign in the months to come.
Clarke Follows Trajectory Of Medical Research Bill
Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, yesterday, threw her support behind the Twenty-First Century Cures Act, which includes several provisions she supported to invest in critical medical research.
These provisions include an additional $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health in the next ten years, expanded loan repayment assistance for young scientists who pursue medical research, and a requirement that the National Institutes of Health develop a plan to increase diversity in recruiting and retaining scientists.
The Energy and Commerce Committee recently approved the bill and it has been sent to the full House for a vote.
“Recent epidemics – such as the 14,991 confirmed cases of Ebola in West Africa in 2014 – and the persistence of chronic diseases such as diabetes as well as life-threatening diseases such as cancer demonstrate that we must continue to expand our investments in the National Institutes of Health and its dedicated scientists,” said Clarke.
Clarke said she has also heard from many doctors and hospitals in Brooklyn who expressed their concerns about the reduction in resources for the National Institutes of Health in recent years.
“I have also spoken with medical students from SUNY Downstate Medical Center who want to pursue medical research as a career, but because of their student loan debt cannot consider that option. Now, an expanded loan repayment program will support these medical students in their pursuit,” she said.
“In addition, the National Institutes of Health will now include in its strategic plan a focus on increasing diversity among its scientists, expanding efforts to recruit and retain people of color and women, who have historically been underrepresented in medical research.”
Cymbrowitz Say State Ed Department Did The Right Thing
Southern Brooklyn Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz released the following statement, yesterday, on the State Education Department’s rejection of all 15 applications for new charter schools, including two in southern Brooklyn’s District 21.
“Last month I wrote a letter strongly supporting District 21 and its Community Education Council in their opposition to two new charter school applications submitted by Hebrew Language Academy and Mentora International Charter School.
“While I respect the wish to expand the educational options for New York City parents, such a plan cannot unfairly stretch the resources of our existing public schools or compromise the ability of our most successful schools – like those in District 21 – to provide our children with a consistently high-quality education,” said Cymbrowitz.
Cymbrowitz commended the State Education Department for not rushing headlong into the charter school frenzy and opting instead to take a more careful and deliberate approach in reviewing applications.
“For the first time, every application for a new charter school in New York City was rejected for failing to meet appropriate academic standards. This action serves as validation for our public schools. It demonstrates that charters have big shoes to fill in trying to meet the academic success that many of our public schools already achieve,” he said.
