Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the manager's amendment for H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. For the first time in more than a decade, we are debating comprehensive legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Congress. This law is woefully overdue for a rewrite. While some seem perfectly content to leave students and schools tied to an outdated law, my Republican colleagues and I know our children deserve better. The legislation before us today will help schools across America raise the bar and better prepare our children for a successful future. It will support unique student populations, protect our Nation's most vulnerable children and help States continue to narrow achievement gaps. Most importantly, the Student Success Act restores the balance between the Federal Government's limited role and the responsibilities of State and local governments to deliver an excellent education to all students. I would like to highlight a few technical changes included in the manager's amendment that will improve the underlying legislation and strengthen our efforts to ensure all students have access to a quality education. {time} 1545 To encourage more local control, the amendment specifies State assessments must measure individual student growth at the sole discretion of the State. This ensures States have maximum flexibility in developing their own accountability systems.…”