Byron Dorgan: “Last year, during the negotiation over the budget and appropriations between President Clinton and the Republicans and…”

“Last year, during the negotiation over the budget and appropriations between President Clinton and the Republicans and Democrats in Congress, a program was both authorized and funded that said it shall be the objective in this country to reduce class size and provide teachers to help accomplish that. Why? Because we know kids learn better in smaller classes. Does a kid have more attention from the teacher and more individualized instruction in a class with 15 or 16 students than with 30 students? The answer is, yes, of course. From study after study, in State after State, we understand it makes a difference in a child's education to reduce class size. Unless this Congress continues to fund that effort, up to 30,000 teachers will be fired.”