Political Quotes

“I would like to say on behalf of several Republican Senators, including Senators Burr, Isakson, Kirk, Roberts, Hatch, and Enzi that I am introducing today the Every Child Ready for College or Career Act. This bill would let States decide whether schools and teachers are succeeding or failing. It would end the accumulation of Federal mandates that have piled up on States and local school districts and has created, in effect, a national school board. It would help 50 million children in 100,000 public schools learn what they need to know and be able to do by restoring responsibility to States and communities and giving teachers and parents more freedom, flexibility, and choices. I will have more to say about this on Monday in a floor speech, but I wanted to call it to the attention of our colleagues. While it is being offered by Republican Senators, we do not see it as a Republican bill. We see it as a piece of legislation that will attract the support of classroom teachers, principals, Governors, legislators, and others who have been working for 30 years to set high standards, create better tests, create accountability systems, and pioneering in developing teacher evaluation systems. We believe it is the proper role of the Federal Government to create an environment for better schools, but not to issue orders from Washington.…”