Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I wish to talk about the Every Student Succeeds Act. I want to thank Chairmen Kline and Alexander and Ranking Members Scott and Murray for their work in putting together a bipartisan, bicameral framework to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, ESEA. I know that it was not easy, especially in this political climate, but politics were put aside; and children, teachers, and schools were put first. I am really pleased how this process played out--it was truly a bipartisan effort. I have always believed that one of the pathways to success is restoring regular order, and they did just that. While this bill is not perfect--it is not one that Democrats nor Republicans would have written--it is a step in the right direction towards overhauling and improving the failed tenets of No Child Left Behind. ESEA was passed 50 years ago to ensure that kids living in poverty would receive the extra help they needed in order to succeed. It was a part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty. It was the first time that the Federal Government really got involved in education. Before then, education was considered a local responsibility, not something for the Feds to meddle in; but President Johnson's vision changed that. He wanted to lift kids out of poverty and give them their fair shot to excel. Since then, we passed the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, NCLB. While done with the best of intentions, it was deeply flawed.…”