On the recordFebruary 25, 2015
I thank Ranking Member Scott. I have to ask the majority: When did local control come to mean spend Federal dollars but ditch the Federal oversight? During our markup last week--and I certainly heard today Member after Member arguing how removing Federal standards would help local leaders make tough decisions. This is absolutely backwards. For 9 years, I served on the second largest school board in California, the sixth in the Nation, and I distinctly remember every school in the district making a compelling case for extra resources. Which is why, frankly, we should be debating how to increase the size of the pie that goes to education, rather than only arguing on how to cut it up. I still remember particularly one board meeting agonizing over the decision to move money from one needy school to another. We had to cut our budget, and we had to make a decision. In the end, the law and the safeguards around title I helped direct us to make sure the money went to the students that needed it most. Ultimately, the direction in the law helps us balance competing needs, and I urge opposition to the bill.
