John Kerry: “today I join several of my colleagues to introduce an innovative education reform proposal, the Public Education…”

“today I join several of my colleagues to introduce an innovative education reform proposal, the Public Education Reinvestment, Reinvention, and Responsibility Act, or Three R's for short. Three R's aims to help states and districts raise the academic achievement of all children by increasing the federal government's investment in public education, by highly-targeting those resources toward to most economically disadvantaged children, by increasing the flexibility with which states and districts use federal dollars, and by holding schools accountable for results. I believe that it is past time to break the partisan gridlock in Washington over education reform and to come together around programs, policies, and initiatives that members of both parties can agree are critical to improving education for our neediest children. I am very pleased that President Bush agrees with my colleagues and I on the fundamental principles underlying this legislation--that meaningful education reform requires more resources, more flexibility, and more accountability. I look forward to working with President Bush and my Republican colleagues to reach a bipartisan consensus on education reform. I believe that the Three R's legislation provides a great framework for finding the common ground necessary to reach a consensus. Bipartisanship means compromise, not capitulation--and education reform is an issue for compromise.”