Political Quotes

“if I may, I am a cosponsor and a strong supporter of Goals 2000 because I believe that, on the whole, our schools are going to benefit from the creation and dissemination of a national framework of some standards. However, I think it should be clear to everyone who has looked at the bill and understands the current academic performance of our youth that the creation of national standards and Goals 2000 will not be sufficient alone, nor will they necessarily improve the success of students in our Nation's public education system, unless other things are done as well. What I have found in California is that the standards of our schools and the standards of our learning fluctuate widely. Some schools perform effectively; some not so well; most are mediocre. I am particularly concerned by the widespread practice of what is called social promotion, by which students are passed along from grade to grade regardless of whether they pass their courses successfully. This is done in hopes that if they do not learn one year, they will learn the next year. But what I see happening is that as students reach the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade, and they have not learned their fundamentals, they drop out mentally, and then they drop out physically. They become the truants, they become the discipline problems, and increasingly their opportunities to find a worthwhile life diminish.”