Barbara Boxer: “when we first began the debate on the education reauthorization bill, I came to the floor calling for three simple…”

“when we first began the debate on the education reauthorization bill, I came to the floor calling for three simple things--reform, resources, and results. Overall, I believe this education bill makes a significant step toward achieving these three goals, and I want to highlight some of the bill's important provisions. The bill includes improved targeting of federal funds to the neediest communities and increases support for Limited English Proficient and migrant students. It continues our federal commitment to improve public schools by reducing class sizes and overcrowding in order to provide safe and orderly places for learning. This will improve the performance of students and teachers in our public schools. Because I am a firm believer in school testing and accountability standards when properly structured, I am pleased that my colleagues were able to reach a compromise so that the federal government will pay its fair share in supporting the new standards in schools. This bill also maintains the emergency school repair and construction program, and ensures that every classroom will be led by a qualified teacher. But the provision of this bill of which I am most pleased is the Title V provision on afterschool programs.”