Tom Harkin

So the request for proposals, when you put those out, and you are going to do that within the next month?

I don't know if I am much leadership, but I got a lot of support for you. I can put you out there on the point, Mr. Secretary. We'll be right there backing you up.

Don't misunderstand me. I happen to be one of those in favor of a longer school year.

How do we create jobs without creating this funding cliff?

I don't think there is a good school in this country without a good principal.

Yes. Because there seems to be some thought that you are focusing so much on charter schools, that every charter school is great, no matter what.

Now the $650 million?

Thank you, Senator Pryor.

I am sure you have some ideas of your own about changing that system--about providing incentives to kids early on so that they can keep up their grades and keep up the work, that they get scholarships and they get access to college.

You need to know where your students are, you need to know how your teachers are doing.

It is much, much harder to build this thing up than it is to tear it down.

Well, let's open the door further. I would, both on this subcommittee, as Chair of the subcommittee, but also on the authorizing committee, we ought to be saying what we can do over the next few years to expand that school year? We have…

Our goal would be to have every State to hit all 10 of those benchmarks.

We will set a high bar, and States that hit it, that's great.

Students with disabilities, this is one that we pay special attention to.

There has never been this much funding in the Nation's schools before in our history.

Is that it? If States have a cap on the number of charter schools, that they would have a harder time of winning one of these awards?

If someone can make that much money off the back of students, that just shouldn't be allowed.

Right on. Thank you very much. I appreciate that very much.

I am concerned about making up the gap for next year.

More of the same in our dropout factories will not help children succeed and beat the odds.

I think there may be a little bit of concern here on this subcommittee and others about making that a mandatory program.

The title I program and the Special Education State Grants program under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, that Senator Harkin, you worked so hard on.

I would submit when it comes to education, this is truly one of those historic moments.

Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. You have been very generous with your time and input and I'm sure that we will be dealing with your people and others as we move ahead on this appropriations process.