Political Quotes

“I thank my colleague, Dr. Burgess, for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, as a child, my family's home didn't have electricity or running water. My parents, while dedicated and hardworking, were poor, with little formal education. Fortunately, I was pushed by the right people, teachers and administrators, who wouldn't let me settle for less than my best. In the mountains of North Carolina, I learned firsthand the power of education and its vital role in the success of individual Americans. Unfortunately, today's K-12 education system is failing our students. Decades of Washington's counterproductive mandates and the No Child Left Behind law have resulted in stagnant student achievement, disappointing graduation rates, and high school graduates entering college and the workforce without the knowledge and resources they need to succeed. Parents and education leaders have lost much of their decisionmaking authority to Washington bureaucrats, and the Secretary of Education has bullied States into adopting the Obama administration's pet policies. The rule we are debating now would provide for consideration of a conference committee agreement, the Every Student Succeeds Act, reauthorizing and reforming the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that would allow Congress finally to replace the No Child Left Behind.…”