Byron Dorgan: “I am a product of a small public school in Regent, ND. I graduated in a high school class of 9. I always kid that I was…”

“I am a product of a small public school in Regent, ND. I graduated in a high school class of 9. I always kid that I was in the top 5 of my class; I won't tell exactly where in that 5, though. I went to college and to graduate school and, through a strange set of circumstances, I made my way to the Congress and finally to the Senate. I am proud to stand on the floor of the Senate and discuss education. I don't pretend that I know more than anybody else in the Senate on the subject. I don't pretend to have all of the answers. But I do hope that when we debate education--and most parents in this country want us to debate how to improve public schools--I hope we will be able to debate all of the good ideas that exist in this Chamber, not only some or a few. It is my hope that, shortly, we will have an agreement by which we will be able to consider all of the good ideas that exist in this Chamber to improve and strengthen education in this country. Thomas Jefferson used to say that anyone who believes a country can be both ignorant and free believes in something that never was and never can be.”