William Bryan: “the quality of education in this country is of enormous concern to the American people, and is a defining issue in…”

“the quality of education in this country is of enormous concern to the American people, and is a defining issue in Congress this year. I believe that few priorities are more important than the future of our Nation's youth. When Americans lack education and skills, demands on Government support rise, and the long-term financial costs to the Nation are enormous. Our primary goal during this debate is to find the best way to bring every one of our students up to a high level of academic performance, in order that they may be successful, contributing members of the national and global economy. As a former Governor of Nevada, I believe that education is first a State and local responsibility. Creative and innovative education programs have been initiated by many governors at the state level, and the local school districts who interact with students and families in their communities on a daily basis are better positioned than federal bureaucrats to identify their schools' specific needs, and to target the appropriate resources to meet these needs. The primary purpose of the New Democrat amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, introduced by Senators Lieberman and Bayh and of which I am a cosponsor, is to deliver better educational results by helping states and local school districts raise academic achievement for all children.”