James Davis: “there is no issue that we need to debate on the floor of this House that is more important than improving our schools…”

“there is no issue that we need to debate on the floor of this House that is more important than improving our schools and understanding our fundamental obligations to stimulate positive reform in our communities and our neighborhoods and in our schools, particularly those reforms that best empower principals and teachers and parents and ultimately students. As we have talked about this morning, charter schools is an excellent example of that. Thirty States have adopted charter school legislation authorizing the creation of charter schools, including my home State, Florida. In Florida, the law that I helped write struck the balance between assuring a quality education and the protection and safety and well-being of our students while encouraging innovation. There are five charter schools that have been created so far under that law in the State of Florida, and there are 31 others that are scheduled to open right now. I think it is significant to point out that of the five schools that have opened, the class size is a lot smaller than the class size we see around the State in our public schools, averaging about 17 students per class. The students come from very diverse backgrounds. More than half of them have special education needs. What charter schools prove is that there is no greater advocate for our kids at risk than the parents and the teachers that know them, that see them on a daily basis, and principals.”