Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise in support of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act. This is landmark legislation that would reform and reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and as a member of the conference committee that resolved the differences between the two bodies' versions of their education reform bills, I want to particularly applaud the leadership of Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray for doing a truly extraordinary job in putting together the bipartisan, bicameral reform bill that is before us today. Congressional action to fix the serious flaws with No Child Left Behind, while preserving the valuable parts of the law, is long overdue, but that day has finally arrived. NCLB was well-intentioned, and its focus on the education of every child and greater transparency in the performance of our schools were welcomed reforms, but some of the law's provisions were simply unachievable and thus discouraging to teachers, parents, administrators, and students alike. The current system of unattainable standards and a patchwork of State waivers has led to confusion about Federal requirements. High-stakes testing and unrealistic 100 percent proficiency goals do not raise aspirations; instead, they dispirit those who are committed to a high- quality education for our students.…”