Political Quotes

“I want to discuss today some of the priorities that Democrats have, which are important to Members of my party, which are included in this bill. I hope that those on my side of the aisle who are listening tonight-- or the capable Education LAs who are listening tonight, who will hopefully advise their bosses to vote ``yes'' tomorrow--will listen to how so many of our Democratic priorities are in the bill. First of all, this bill makes sure that charter schools do not have entrance requirements, that they don't charge tuition, are not religious, and don't discriminate against students on any basis. We also make sure that low-performing or financially irresponsible charter schools are closed and that the authorizer intercedes. We also have language in here that gives public charter schools additional tools to make sure that they recruit and serve students with disabilities. We also improve performance oversight and the management for public charter schools, new provisions about transparency, and evaluation practices. We make sure that each public charter school considers input from parents and community members with regard to the operation of the school. The public charter schools abide by civil rights laws, in that they can't charge tuition. We make sure that public charter schools have the same audit requirements as traditional public schools, in order to prevent fiscal mismanagement and fraud. These are some of the reasons, Mr.…”