James M. Jeffords: “let me explain this amendment. Like the previous Lott amendment, this would amend the class size reduction provisions of…”

“let me explain this amendment. Like the previous Lott amendment, this would amend the class size reduction provisions of the fiscal year 1999 Department of Education Appropriations Act to expand the choices available to local school officials. They would have the opportunity to determine whether hiring teachers or educating children with disabilities is a greater need in the schools and spend the additional funds accordingly. I am sure that many areas will choose to hire teachers, although I strongly suspect that most communities in my home State would choose to use their funds for IDEA, special education. If a locality has a plentiful supply of unemployed qualified teachers and lacks only the funds to hire them, that locale will use the $1.2 billion to hire teachers. If that is not the case, those funds will be put to better use by supporting existing efforts to educate special education students. I urge my colleagues support this amendment. I retain the remainder of my time.”