On the recordFebruary 25, 2015
I thank the chairman for his great leadership on this bill and in the committee generally. I rise in strong support this afternoon because every student, Mr. Chairman, every student deserves an effective teacher, an engaging classroom, and a quality education that paves the path for a bright and prosperous future. That is what we all want. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, the Nation's current K-12 education law has failed to provide students this fundamental right. In fact, the law has only gotten in the way. Far from taking us back to the past, this bill will take us to the future, where we should have been for a while now in terms of education, so that we can maintain competitiveness with the rest of the world and win in the 21st century. No Child Left Behind's onerous requirements and the Obama administration's waiver scheme and pet projects have created a one- size-fits-all system that hinders innovation and stymies local efforts to improve student learning. As a result, too many young adults leave high school today without basic knowledge in reading, math, and science. They are ill-equipped to complete college and compete in the workforce, and consequently they are deprived of one of the best opportunities they have to earn a lifetime of success. We shouldn't shackle any student to that kind of future. Americans have settled for the status quo for far too long, and today we have an opportunity to chart the new course.…
