Political Quotes

“in the spirit of cooperation, because I have been trying very hard to have a bipartisan bill, I accept the opportunity to learn standards as we have finalized them, and want to make sure that we understand it makes clear that the implementation of the model opportunity to learn standards is voluntary and not mandated, narrows down the original list of 8 to 2. It allows the State to develop model opportunity to learn standards that the State deems appropriate to ensure that students served under this title receive a fair opportunity to achieve the knowledge and skills described in the content and performance standards adopted by the State. It only requires the State to develop opportunity to learn standards for children served under title I. It greatly limits the paperwork burden on schools and local education agencies, retains the provisions in the bill saying that the Secretary may not deny title I funds to a State based on the specific content of its opportunity to learn standards. It clarifies that model opportunity to learn standards cannot be enforced through litigation, cannot be used to mandate equalized spending in States or national school building standards. So I continue to believe that we cannot mandate anything that we do not pay for, and I think by adopting this compromise we are making sure that we do not have unfunded mandates.”