Political Quotes

“as a long-time advocate of providing telecommunications services to our public classrooms, I rise in support of the Davis amendment. This amendment would allow the Chief Administrative Officer [CAO] of the House to transfer surplus computers, printers, modems, and other technological equipment to schools in the District of Columbia. Many of the classrooms in the District are housed in buildings that are falling apart. Classrooms are ill-equipped with resources that will leave students behind in this rapidly evolving technological revolution. The Davis amendment would provide the District with an infusion of much-needed technology that will afford students the opportunity to succeed in this new, information age. The statistics on the performance of students in the D.C. public schools are dismal. Only 22 percent of fourth-grade students in the D.C. public schools scored at or above basic reading achievement levels in 1994. Over the last 3 years, 53 percent of students dropped out or left the school system after 10th grade. The cumulative grade point average for current 12th grade students is 1.5 on a 4.0 scale, and wide disparities exist in student performances among wards. Information technology can excite young minds and provide all children in the District access to the same rich learning resources, regardless of where they live.”