Norma Torres: “I rise in support of increased funding for school construction and for bond initiatives to assist local communities in…”

“I rise in support of increased funding for school construction and for bond initiatives to assist local communities in school improvement projects. I have received numerous letters from my constituents regarding the need for action in this matter. These are not letters from large organizations or big corporations with a financial agenda. These letters are from junior high and high school students in my district. They are writing me to ask what I can do about the leaking ceilings and the crumbling walls in their schools. One of the high schools in my district has an entire section of its buildings sectioned off because it has been condemned. This is not only a crisis in my district but a crisis throughout the country. We tell our children that they must maintain better grades, and that they must perform to higher standards, yet, we send them to schools that are falling apart. And we ask our teachers, who have one of the hardest jobs in the world and are grossly underpaid, to perform at higher standards, while sending them to work in substandard buildings. One of the more promising ideas for reform is to reduce class size. This is a proven, effective method for improving academic achievement in students, but we need more classrooms to accomplish this goal. We talk about reforming the public school system and debate over vouchers, block grants and national tests. But tomorrow morning, millions of children will go to school in buildings that are inadequate.”