Political Quotes

“I am pleased to be here. I am pleased to follow the 30-Somethings, although I am a little bit old for them. I think the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) might be a little bit old for that as well, but I want to talk about a different subject matter, as interesting as Social Security is, and I will share time with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), my distinguished friend, on this subject which is essentially dealing with education in the United States of America and the Federal role in education which is frankly largely not understood by everybody who deals in education in this country. Perhaps we can bring a little bit of light to that. The starting point here is really the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which is right now 40 years of age. It was 40 years ago last month that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed what we know as ESEA, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, into law, and the core mission of that Act when he signed it into law 40 years ago and was really one of the times the Federal Government has really got involved in education was to help disadvantaged students improve academically, certainly a laudatory goal I think as far as any of us are concerned. We have now enacted No Child Left Behind, and many people refer to that as if it is something separate and different and new.…”