Joe Baca: “I stand in support of this rule. I commend the committee on a bipartisan effort. We really have come together and…”

“I stand in support of this rule. I commend the committee on a bipartisan effort. We really have come together and compromised. Education is our top priority, and should always be our top priority. We want to make sure that every child has an opportunity to learn and be all that he or she can be. We believe that H.R. 1 returns those original goals to targeting the funding for students who need it most, closing the achievement gap between the rich and poor, minority and non-minority. If we state that no child is left behind, we have to address this issue. H.R. 1 begins to address that issue, and I commend President Bush in making the statement that no child be left behind. This begins to address that. It is important that each and every one of our students receive the appropriate education, the training, and that we do have accountability. This provides for accountability in our schools. It provides opportunity for parental involvement in our schools which is very important. It is important that our students receive motivation, self-esteem, that they are able to go on. It is with dedicated teachers and accountability. I know because my son, Joe Baca, Jr., is a teacher in secondary schools. My wife has been a substitute teacher for over 20 years. My daughter is a teacher's aide. This is a step in the right direction. We still have a lot of work ahead of us as we look at class size reduction, school modernization and special ed.…”