February 9, 2001
The Honorable John A. Boehner, Chairman
House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Room 2181 Rayburn House Office Building
Independence Ave. & S. Capitol Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) believes that every child should have the opportunity to learn the skills essential to becoming a successful individual within the family, community and society. The Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum helps students achieve this goal. It is founded in scientific principles and recognizes the importance of learning and understanding basic life skills. Through this curriculum, students of all ages learn to manage their personal finances, prepare and eat a well balanced and nutritional diet, resolve conflicts in a reasonable fashion, develop parenting skills, and participate in pregnancy prevention programs. This vibrant and vital curriculum is found in middle and secondary schools across the country!
Our members are researchers, extension educators, teachers, and members of the business and non-profit community, each of whom serves the association's mission to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities.
AAFCS applauds the bi-partisan support for reauthorization of the Elementary, Secondary Education Act. We, too, believe that education should be the number one priority of every parent, teacher, and lawmaker.
AAFCS has resources that are of value to Members of Congress. By way of introduction, I am enclosing a recent article from the Baltimore Sun about our vital curriculum and a list of recent articles written by AAFCS members and published in the Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences: From Research to Practice. They cover the broad spectrum of human needs and life skills. If you would like copies of any of the articles or further information on the topical areas covered, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail us. We want to build bridges with you and your staffs and look forward to working with you on the pending education legislation as well as on other issues. Please call either me or Mary Ellen Saunders, Director of Public Policy and Professional Development on 703-706-4600 or send us an email at mesaunders@aafcs.org. We will be happy to assist you quickly. We have a grassroots network in place in each state, with contacts in the areas of specialization included in family and consumer sciences.
We look forward to working with you on this investment in the next generation.
Sincerely,
Ann C. Chadwick
cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Family and Consumer Sciences Research Results published in the Journal of Family And Consumer Sciences: From Research to Practice
"Why Can't We Manage Our Money"
by Susan Wright, Ph.D.
Extension Consumer Specialist
New Mexico State University
"Students: Consumers of Family and Consumer Sciences Education"
by Bettye P. Smith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Helen C. Hall, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Department Chair
Karen H. Jones, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Jo Ann Cory, Research Assistant and Doctoral Candidate
Tracy L. Ethridge, Research Assistant and Doctoral Candidate
University of Georgia
"Family and Consumer Sciences Educators Can Play Significant Roles in Curbing School Violence"
by Martha Karen Lovell, M.S., CFCS
Bernice Richardson, Ed.D., CFCS
Alabama A&M University
"Violence and Other Antisocial Behaviors in Public Schools: Can Dress Codes Help Solve the Problem?"
by Lillian O. Holloman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
"Childcare With A Future"
by Eleanor Keppler, CFCS
Family & Consumer Sciences Department Head &
Program Director for Vocational Child Care
1999 National Teacher of the Year for Family and Consumer Sciences
Lawrence Central High School, Indianapolis, Indiana
"The Early Childhood Initiative"
by Marilyn Swierk, CFCS
Early Childhood Initiative Task Force Chair
"Hunger and Food Insecurity"
by Katherine L. Cason, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor, Department of Family and Youth Development
Clemson University
"Health in the Family And Consumer Sciences Curriculum: Full Circle?"
by Virginia Richards, Ed.D., CFCS, Assistant Professor
Elfrieda F. Brown, M.S., R.D., Assistant Professor
Mary C. Kettler, M.S., Assistant Professor
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Georgia Southern University
"Sexually Explicit Material On The Internet: Implications for Family Life Educators"
by Gregory Sanders, Ph.D., Professor
James Deal, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chair
Department of Child Development and Family Science
North Dakota State University
Karen Myers-Bowman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
School of Family Studies and Human Services
Kansas State University
"Managing At The Margin: Families Moving Off Welfare"
by Bonnie Braun, Ph.D., CFCS, Family Studies Department
University of Maryland, College Park
Jean W. Bauer, Ph.D., Family Social Sciences Department
University of Minnesota
Patricia Olson, M.S., Consumer Sciences and Textiles Department
The Ohio State University
"Characteristics of Bankruptcy Filers: Implications for Educators"
by Jean Clements
Diane Johnson, CFCS
Kathy Michelich
Christine F. Olinsky, CFCS
The Ohio State University Extension