THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release January 15, 2001
EXECUTIVE ORDER
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PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE EQUITY
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the
laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. A quality education is essential to the success
of every child in the 21st century and to the continued strength and
prosperity of our Nation. Our Nation has embraced the goal of promoting
high educational standards for all children and increasing accountability
in education. Although we know it is crucial that all children have access
to the educational resources and opportunity necessary to achieve high
standards, long-standing gaps in access to educational resources exist,
including disparities based on race and ethnicity. These gaps limit the
ability of individuals, as well as our Nation, to reach their full
potential. Therefore, it is the policy of this Administration that our
Nation undertake appropriate steps to understand fully the current status
of resource equity in education and to identify and implement strategies at
the local, State, and national levels that will ensure that all students
have a full and equal opportunity to succeed.
Sec. 2. Establishment. To carry out this policy, there is
established the "President?s Commission on Educational Resource Equity"
(Commission). The Commission shall be composed of not more than 13 members
appointed by the President from the public and private sectors. The
members may include current and former Federal, State, and local government
officials, corporate and foundation leaders, recognized education and civil
rights experts, educational practitioners, and others with experience and
expertise in educational resource equity. The President shall designate
from among the Commission members such official or officials to be
chairperson or chairpersons, as he shall deem appropriate.
Sec. 3. Duties and Commission Report. (a) The Commission shall
collect and review information about the current status of gaps in the
availability of educational resources, including the underlying causes and
effects of such resource gaps. The Commission shall, as appropriate,
invite experts and communities to provide infor-mation and guidance in
furtherance of their duties.
(b) Not later than August 31, 2001, the Commission shall prepare and
submit a report for the President and the Congress on the issue of resource
equity in education. The report shall include, but not be limited to:
(i) An analysis of the status of resource equity in education with
regard to such factors as finances, staff, facilities, instructional
programs, and support services, taking into account, as appropriate,
differences in costs and needs for different students and communities;
(ii) An analysis of how resource gaps in education affect the success
of individuals and our Nation;
(iii) An examination of the effectiveness of targeted Federal
resources toward disadvantaged students and low-income schools as compared
with the provision of State and local resources toward disadvantaged
students and low-income schools;
(iv) A summary of best practices with regard to overcoming gaps in
the availability of educational resources; and
(v) Short- and long-term recommendations for educational policy
makers, including local, State, and Federal officials, to achieve resource
equity in education.
Sec. 4. Administration, Compensation, and Termination. (a) The
Department of Education shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide
administrative support and funding for the Commission.
(b) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but
while engaged in the work of the Commission, members appointed from among
private citizens of the United States shall be allowed travel expenses,
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons
serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707) to
the extent funds are available for such purposes.
(c) The functions of the President under the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, except that of reporting to the Congress, that
are applicable to the Commission, shall be performed by the Department of
Education in accordance with the guidelines that have been issued by the
Administrator of General Services.
(d) The chairperson (or chairpersons) may from time to time prescribe
such rules, procedures, and policies relating to the activities of the
Commission as are not inconsistent with law or with the provisions of this
order.
(e) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its final
report, unless extended by the President.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 15, 2001.
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