The Public Record
Bob Schaffer is a former U.S. Congressman who represented Colorado's 4th congressional district from 1997 to 2003. A member of the Republican Party, Schaffer was known for his strong advocacy of national defense, particularly in support of a national missile defense system. He also took firm stances on social issues, including opposition to the sale of fetal tissue from abortions. Schaffer has been involved in various political and educational initiatives following his congressional career, including serving as the president of the Colorado Community College System.
Maybe fixing the leaky roof is something that has to wait a couple of years because the Vice President has not been willing to help us in our effort to fully fund IDEA. That I think is probably the most graphic and dramatic statement of…
It comes right back to the rallying cry that the gentleman has espoused over and over again, focus on quality, not quantity. We see that not only with this effort toward hiring more employees in schools, but we hear it when it comes to…
The White House has also fought us on this notion of expanding Ed-Flex to all of the 50 States. There were 12 States that piloted this flexibility act where some achieved great things. The State of Texas as we mentioned has raised…
Ours says, let us fully fund the mandates that are there first. Let us give Los Angeles, for example, the $90 million a year to spend on whatever they want. If they want to fix the roof, that would be their prerogative. If they want to buy…
It just defies logic, but again it points out my point that these folks have had 8 years to try to help, to try to help local schools. They have really blown the opportunity. Even when they have Republicans, and we are conservatives and we…
That is the real hardship, I might add, that we see with all of these Federal programs is the paperwork, the red tape, the rules that go along with what amounts to pretty small amount of funds. The gentleman is right that with so many…
The Texas example is almost miraculous on how far students improved in academic achievement in the State of Texas under Governor Bush's leadership versus what we have seen here in Washington for the last 8 years of a White House where…
Perhaps we can talk about that for a moment, because we have been to New York, to California, and around the country. Even in a big city like Los Angeles, $90 million is not pocket change. That is real money.
The contrast again could not be clearer. The Texas record is one of improving test scores. This is a graph of the Texas 4th graders when it comes to reading skills. Back in 1994, when Governor Bush took over the governorship in Texas, only…
Of course, Governor Bush understands the perspective of being a governor. He has worked in partnership, not always Republicans; this has not been solely a Republican success, although, it is a Republican philosophy. He has had to work with…
That is the educational empire which the gentleman just described, which is so hard to understand. There is such momentum, and all of these people that are employed, and not only at the U.S. Department of Education, but the State…
We tried, you and I tried and others, the more conservative Members of Congress tried to actually put more money into that unfunded Federal mandate because we know it frees up local districts to provide pay raises for teachers, to build…