Chaka Fattah

It is a national imperative that they want to get qualified teachers in their classrooms.

Mr. Chairman, the thing I want to emphasize the most is that what we know in the research, without contradiction, is that if a kid gets a highly qualified teacher that there is no other circumstances that are going to have a, you know…

The Teacher Incentive Fund creates the opportunity for highly motivated and courageous school reformers to change tightly held traditions in education.

For the third Congress in a row Republicans, on this committee, are introducing the Teacher Incentive Fund Act.

As research has repeatedly demonstrated, high quality teachers are the most reliable and powerful contributors to student academic achievement.

When provided with teachers who know their subject that have high expectations for these kids, literally, they have moved from the very bottom to the very top of the state assessment process.

The difference is is that getting teachers in that are competent, that understand their field.

The real issue here and the benefit of this hearing is in our opportunity to impact national policy.

I definitely agree with that, since it is headquartered in my District.

I think that Senator Specter has brought this to our attention in a way that will impact national policy.

I thank the Senator for using the weight of his office to convene us so that we could begin to get to the answers to this question.

Thank you for holding this hearing. It is very timely.

These critical resources are available in abundance to our wealthiest families, in both public and private schools, but available only to a chosen few poor neighborhoods and communities of color.

I am excited by the opportunity we now have to improve educational outcomes and ensure a fair playing field for all students.

It has been an enormous success, and I thank all of my colleagues who worked with me on that legislation when we passed it.

When President Clinton came to Saltsburg and signed GEAR UP into law 11 years ago, he said that we need to transfer middle-class aspirations to working class families in terms of going on to college.

But more needs to be done. And what I think ought to happen is embodied in the legislation that I have authored, the Student Bill of Rights.

I offered the Communities Committed to College Act, which would create a long-term trust fund invested in so young people can know with a certainty that they can go on to college.

Thank you for your testimony. We are not going to have time, I think, for a lot of questions today as I think, obviously, based on the enthusiastic interest in testifying before the Committee. So let me thank you for your work.

I appreciate this opportunity to testify today and urge the Subcommittee to fully fund NSF, NASA, and NOAA.

It could be worse than that. Us and votes, you know.

Thank you very much.

Well, we would be excited to do that. Thank you for your testimony.

Well we're getting better as we go, but thank you for your more than three decades of service.

I urge you to seek greater clarity on these policies so that people who are simply following their doctor's orders and abiding by state law can sleep better at night.