Eva M. Clayton: “in time, the American people will grade this Congress on its performance toward improving education. Teachers, parents…”

“in time, the American people will grade this Congress on its performance toward improving education. Teachers, parents and even students will examine what this Congress has or has not done to make our educational systems better. Sadly, I must report that, as of tonight, this Congress is failing. Why is this Congress failing, you might ask? This Congress is failing because we have done nothing to decrease class sizes or to repair deteriorating school buildings. Schools across the Nation are struggling because student enrollments are dramatically increasing. Evidence shows that there is a direct correlation between class size and learning ability. Students in smaller classes, especially in early grades, make greater educational gains, and maintain those gains over time. Smaller classes are most advantageous for poor, minority, and rural community children. However, all children will benefit from smaller classes. In addition, the greatest impact on learning will only occur if the new teachers brought into the classroom are qualified teachers. In these final days, Congress still has a chance to correct this deficiency and improve its grade. The Class-Size Reduction and Teacher Quality Act of 1998 can and should be passed before we leave for adjournment.”