On the recordOctober 19, 2011
During this whole period, I talked with the Senator. I have asked to see the ranking member and meet with him in his office to tell him what I wanted to see in this bill. I agree with the Senator from Kentucky, who has talked about there is just one test at the end of the year and the kids do not--the teachers do not get to see the results until the kids are out the door. I think that is terrible. I am offering an amendment that the ranking member referred to today. I have gone all around my State since I have been a committee member and talked to teachers about what they want to see to fix this or to get rid of No Child Left Behind and replace it with something that makes sense. That is exactly what we are doing. Is this not the normal order of things? That is my question. I went to Senator Alexander and met with him in his office to explain what I wanted. My staff has been meeting every other Member--not every other Member's staff but every other Member's staff who seems to be engaged in this on both sides of the aisle, with Senator Harkin's staff, with the committee staff, with staff from Senator Enzi's office. I keep hearing whose staff they are talking to about this piece of this amendment or that amendment or this piece is going to be in the managers' bill. I think I have spent more time on this bill than on any other bill in my time here, and nothing has stopped me from being engaged in it.…
