Dick Lugar: “I have an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization bill. My amendment would increase the…”

“I have an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization bill. My amendment would increase the authorization for the Comprehensive School Reform Program from $200 million to $500 million. I believe that there are few areas of this bill that can have a more positive impact on education in American than the Comprehensive School Reform Program. Educators in this country are trying hard to improve the success of their schools. Teachers, administrators, and parents routinely organize and staff tutorial programs, remedial classes, after-school programs, and innumerable other initiatives designed to bolster school performance. But in most cases, achieving breakthrough results requires research-based reform that embraces innovation and instills discipline in both the children and the methods of the schools. School-wide reform programs effectively implemented through the hard work of administrators, teachers, and parents have transformed many struggling schools. Unfortunately, some schools--especially poorer Title I schools--lack the means to pay for these programs.”