Tom Harkin: “Mr. President, our children deserve the best when it comes to education--all children; not just a few but all. It is not…”

“Mr. President, our children deserve the best when it comes to education--all children; not just a few but all. It is not right that some kids get the best in schooling and the best of teachers and the best of school buildings and other kids are put into rundown, dilapidated, old buildings that are not even safe as far as fire and safety codes go. Children deserve modern school buildings with access to technology. They deserve small classes so they can get the teacher's attention when they need extra help. It is not just our kids who deserve this, it is the future of our country that deserves this, cries out for it, demands it. As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is a picture of a modern elementary school classroom. This is Cleveland Elementary in Elkhart, IN. If I am not mistaken, there are 17 or 18 kids in this well-lit, well-appointed, roomy classroom. That is what a modern school ought to look like.”