Bill Pascrell: “millions of students across this country will get onto school buses and bikes to go back to school this week.…”

“millions of students across this country will get onto school buses and bikes to go back to school this week. Unfortunately, many of our Nation's students will be returning to crowded classrooms, run-down school buildings and outdated textbooks. As a former teacher, I am acutely aware of both the excitement and the challenges facing our educational system today. We need to improve education by establishing tougher standards for our teachers, creating a school construction and modernization program, and funding preschool for some 3 year-olds and all of 4-year-olds. To that end, Congress must make education its top priority. I would like to take a moment to wish a classroom in the Eighth Congressional District in New Jersey well this school year. Robin Holcombe is a kindergarten teacher in the Passaic School Number Six. She teaches 23 active, curious, and wonderful 5- and 6-year-olds. I want to let Robin know that the Congress is working for her and her students and will not rest until we provide her more professional training, smaller class sizes and her new kindergarten students with a sound and promising educational future. Mr. Speaker, before I close, let me just say that many of the schools in northern New Jersey were built before the First World War. Congress must respond.”