On Thursday, November 19,  the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, chaired by U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), will hold a hearing to review current federal literacy initiatives and explore ways to improve the reading comprehension skills of all children from birth through high school. Recent data show 69 percent of eighth graders and 65 percent of twelfth graders cannot read at or above grade level.

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing Tuesday, November 17 on how employer paid sick leave policies can help slow the spread of contagious diseases, like the H1N1 flu virus.

At least 50 million American workers currently do not have access to paid sick leave, many in lower-wage industries that have direct contact with the public such as food-service, hospitality industry, schools and health care fields. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that a sick worker will infect one in ten co-workers. As a result, the CDC and other public health officials have advised employers to be flexible when dealing with sick employees and to develop leave policies that will not punish workers for being ill.

On November 3, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, introduced the Emergency Influenza Containment Act (H.R. 3991). The temporary legislation will guarantee up to five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by an employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus.

For more information on the bill, click here.

Due to the off-site location of this hearing, there will be no webcast, photos or videos.

On Thursday, November 5,  U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), chairwoman of the House Subcommittees on Healthy Families and Communities, held a hearing to examine best practices to prevent child abuse and neglect, as well as how to strengthen and improve services for families in crisis.

The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Thursday, October 29 to examine the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s critical review of Nevada’s workplace health and safety program. OSHA reviewed Nevada’s health and safety program between January 2008 and June 2009 and found a number of deficiencies with the plan. A spate of accidents drew national attention during the city’s building boom that killed 12 construction workers on the Las Vegas strip over an 18-month period between 2006 and 2008.

To read the OSHA review of the Nevada health and safety program, click here.

To learn more, visit this blog post.

On Wednesday, October 14, the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competiveness will hold a hearing to examine how non-profit and for-profit colleges and universities administer and enforce student eligibility requirements for federal financial aid programs.

On Thursday, October 8, the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities held a hearing to examine innovative strategies to ensure children have access to healthy, nutritious and safe school meals.

On Thursday, October 1, the House Education and Labor held a hearing to examine the impact on declining rate of youth employment and strategies to ensure that there are economic opportunities available for young Americans.

While the recession has disproportionately impacted young adults, the employment rate among 16 to 24 year-olds has steadily declined by nearly 20 percent over the past decade to its lowest level since World War II. The consequences of reduced work opportunities among young Americans results in fewer long-term employment prospects, less earnings and a decrease in productivity.

On Wednesday, September 30, the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing to examine the progress states and schools districts have made toward ensuring that every child is taught by an effective teacher. Current law requires states to make sure teacher talent is distributed fairly in school districts, so that all children – including poor and minority children – have access to outstanding teachers. Several of the witnesses are former teachers.

The Obama administration has already taken steps toward improving teacher equity. In order to be eligible for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, states are required to take steps to place effective teachers in the classrooms that need them most.

On Wednesday, September 23, 2009, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, chaired the first full committee hearing in the House of Representatives on legislation to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), would prohibit employment discrimination, preferential treatment, and retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by employers with 15 or more employees. Currently, it is legal to discriminate in the workplace based on sexual orientation in 29 states and in 38 states based on gender identity.