Todd Tiahrt: “Education is first, last and always about children. The education debate is not about money. It is about Federal versus…”

“Education is first, last and always about children. The education debate is not about money. It is about Federal versus local control of schools and our children's future. Republicans emphasize local education flexibility, not a Federal straitjacket so parents and teachers can decide if they need to hire more teachers or upgrade skills of their existing teachers. We promote basic academics and encourage parental involvement, not replace the role of children's parents in their lives. We support locally designed accountability standards, not mandated Federal testing. We have tried to drive at least 95 cents of every Federal dollar directly to the classroom, not bureaucracies bloated by expanding the Federal role in neighborhood schools. Mr. Speaker, the liberals have made it clear that in a Democrat Congress the education focus would once again shift back to the vision of big government, Washington-knows-best approach to dealing with local education issues. Americans know better. They care about education and they are concerned about whether students are learning, whether they can read at grade level, and whether they are learning to add and subtract. Under Republican leadership, we have placed the focus and quality on results with parents and teachers in control.”