this is just a dagger that is aimed at the heart of the federal role in education.

In contrast, I am glad to see that President Obama recognizes education is an investment and not an expense.

There's the danger of gutting more than $20 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that helps low-income families keep food on the table.

For each of the past two years, Republicans have released budgets filled with giveaways to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of educating our nation's children.

there has to be this federal measure of accountability and that at the end of the day No Child Left Behind and ESEA are basic fundamental civil rights acts

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.

It appears that each of you are suggesting that the data that has been driven by No Child Left Behind has in fact turned out to be very valuable in how you structure your resources and deploy your resources in schools.

I have the highest performing schools in the state and I have the lowest performing elementary schools in the state and high schools, but they are making dramatic changes in my poorest performing areas.

I think that this panel has delineated for the members this bifurcated role; there is a state and local role and there is our role.

We must not turn our back on our civil rights and moral obligation to our nation's children.

In all of this great movement forward I fear that states, districts, schools, teachers and parents have lost their federal partner.