Joe Baca: “the Labor H.H.S. conference report signals a bipartisan commitment to place education as a top priority. Education must…”

“the Labor H.H.S. conference report signals a bipartisan commitment to place education as a top priority. Education must be top priority not just for children of privilege, not just for those who speak English as their first language, all children deserve the opportunity to learn! Latinos remain among the most educationally disadvantaged of all students. Education must be a top priority for all children. In education, our children are the underdogs. Our children are without a voice. As elected officials we have the responsibility of voicing loudly and plainly the educational realities of poor and disadvantaged children. I can assure you that we in the Hispanic Caucus have not forgotten our roots. We are standing strong and fighting hard not only for our children but all children, so that no child is left behind. This bill makes significant strides in funding for our educational priorities but make no mistake that we as Hispanic members of Congress will continue pushing for adequate and protected funding for bilingual education, immigrant and special education. We will continue fighting so that every poor child, eligible for services can receive assistance. We are not only fighting for our children to catch up we are also fighting for our children to move ahead, excel, fulfill their hopes and dreams and lead us into the 21st century. We need to move out of the box to meet the needs of the changing population to meet the unique needs of our community.”