Frank Riggs: “Mr. Chairman, before I proceed with my 5 minutes, let me see if I can just alert the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Ford]…”

“Mr. Chairman, before I proceed with my 5 minutes, let me see if I can just alert the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Ford] that if he happens to be present, I would yield to him, and while we are perhaps looking for him, let me just explain very quickly to my good friend that my manager's package of amendments contains one technical amendment, two clarifying amendments. The first clarifying amendment refines the language of an amendment that was accepted at the full committee markup. The amendment accepted in committee requires State education agencies to disseminate best or most promising practices of charter schools to local education agencies in that State, and the amendment also stipulates that the SEA, the State Education Agencies, can only use Federal charter school money to disseminate best or most promising practices from the 5 percent that they are permitted to retain for administrative purposes. Further, my amendment requires that the dissemination of best or, again, most promising practices shall result in a minimum of paperwork for SEA and charter schools. The last thing we are trying to do is cause them more red tape or paperwork, and the amendment clarifies the language in the reported bill that directs the Secretary to take measures to ensure that charter schools receive the Federal funds for which they are eligible in their first year of operation.”