Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we have been living under No Child Left Behind, or NCLB, for 13 years, and during that time we have learned what about NCLB works and a lot more about what doesn't work. Students, teachers, and parents across the country have been waiting for a long time for us to fix this law. As a member of the ESEA conference committee, I am proud to work on the legislation before us today, the Every Student Succeeds Act, and to have helped to get it this far. I thank Representatives John Kline and Bobby Scott and Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray for building the bipartisan foundation that got this bill done and will help to reform our national education system. The bill, of course, is not perfect, but it is a huge improvement over NCLB. Over the last 13 years, we learned that the one-size-fits- all approach to fixing failing schools just wasn't working. That is why this bill is designed to find a balance between giving States more flexibility while at the same time still making sure States intervene and fix schools where students are not learning. Over the last several years, starting when I got here, I have met with principals, teachers, students, parents, school superintendents, and other school administrators in Minnesota. These conversations have helped me to develop my education priorities to help improve our schools, our communities, and our Nation's future because that is what this is about.…”