Political Quotes

“I thank my good friend from Louisiana for the kind words and gracious introduction. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk with respect to School Choice Week here in the United States and to address the dire need for education reform across our country. As a child, I attended public schools. In New York, we have some truly phenomenal public schools. When I was in second grade, I was among the youngest people in my class with a September birthday, and my teacher, an immigrant from Russia, said to my parents that she felt it was important for me to be left back because I needed time to mature and grow. My parents were open to the idea so long as she was my teacher again, and at the time, that was not the program. They would give you another teacher within the grade. So, my parents pushed until the school acquiesced and allowed her to teach me a second time. It was the best thing that ever happened to me because it gave me the opportunity to grow, to mature, to develop. I went from being one of the youngest in my class to the oldest in my class, and that had a profound impact on me. As my colleague pointed out, when I graduated college, I graduated as the valedictorian of my class. I don't say that as a bragging point; I say it as the result, the direct impact, that that moment had on my life from an education standpoint. As I think about education and the impact that it has on our communities and our children, I believe in school choice.…”