Unless you work for the President, it is a very bad idea to make Congress issue a subpoena for your appearance. It paints you in the worst light and ensures a grilling. Someone is very stupid, very brazen - or both.

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U.S. Rep George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today confirmed that the following individuals have voluntarily agreed to testify about the implementation of the Reading First program at the committee?s investigative hearing into the mismanagement and conflicts of interest in the program on Friday, April 20:
  • John P. ("Jack") Higgins, Jr., Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education
  • Christopher Doherty, former Program Director for Reading First, U.S. Department of Education
  • Dr. Roland H. Good, Associate Professor, University of Oregon
  • Dr. Edward Kame?enui, Department of Education Commissioner of the National Center for Special Education Research, U.S. Department of Education

In addition, Miller announced that the committee today served a congressional subpoena to Dr. Deborah C. Simmons, Professor of Special Education at Texas A&M University. Counsel representing Dr. Simmons raised genuine concerns about whether his client would appear voluntarily when he failed to return several calls from committee staff last week seeking confirmation that Dr. Simmons would accept the invitation to testify. After all other invitees affirmed their commitment to appear before the full Committee on April 20, counsel for Dr. Simmons responded by requesting additional hearing dates that did not conflict with his schedule..... The subpoena was issued to ensure that the committee is able to gather thorough information from all key witnesses at the investigative hearing - a part of an ongoing investigation that committee staff is conducting into the implementation of the program.

Press Release, April 9

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There are a few others who ought to be called to testify. Reid Lyon, Margaret Spellings and Susan Neuman all played important roles in devising the President's pet program and assuring its implementation. For most of the Reading First fiasco, Lyon was the President's phonics guru at NICHD, Spellings was the White House education advisor, and Neuman was the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. There's an email trail for Lyon and Neuman that deserves public review. The Secretary owes some explanation for how she was seemingly unaware of the problems from her vantage point at the White House, when Lyon's emails refer to White House interest on more than one occaision.

We need testimony from state officials who were pressured by the Department, or who witnessed the actions of Department consultant/advisors whose conflicts of interests resulted in self-serving decisions. Much of the evidence here is from conversations, and the public should have the opportunity to judge state officials' charges by observing their demeanor.

There is also real value in receiving public testimony from providers harmed by the arbitrary and capricious behavior of Department officials. Success for All, Cupp Publishers, and Reading Recovery have more evidence of efficacy than most of the programs that won Reading First funds, yet they were repeatedly blocked and frustrated by Department officials. The implication of a less than level playing field will not be lost on entrepreneurs and investors. Members of Congress can help the industry a great deal by listening to the three firms' leaders and making remarks from the dias that demonstrate an intent to fix the glitch.