Cass Ballenger: “I rise in support of the Boehner school choice amendment and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important…”

“I rise in support of the Boehner school choice amendment and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important amendment. Even President Clinton has stated his support for public school choice, an idea whose time has come. Far too many students experience failure that is far worse than an ``F'' on a test. The failure they experience is that of the entire public school system. Schools across the country seem to be plagued with second rate syndrome. They are falling behind and no longer offer a quality education to the youth of America. To allow parents the option of choosing which public school their children will attend, is to empower them. By making a very small change to the status quo, this amendment would provide huge benefits to the parents and students ensnared in failing schools. As studies have shown, and parents will tell you, they would like to have the option of sending their children to the good schools in their community, the ones with a magnetism that would draw students if choice were allowed. The mediocre schools, those that refuse to change in order to meet the educational needs of students, are stagnant and performing a grave disservice to the youth of America. If competition were injected into the educational system, these stagnant schools would be forced to improve, or cease to exist. Competition in schools must take the form of school choice.”