Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, very briefly, there are two major problems with this amendment to the amendment. First, we are starting to pick away at the whole idea of flexibility, little by little by little. But this whole debate is a debate about somehow or other the local district is not going to be responsible. Who do we think has to answer when the NAEP tests in math are not very good, the math tests are not very good? Not the Members, not me, the local school board, the local teachers, the local administrators. They are the people who have to answer to the neighbors. Let me give one example. The most affluent school district in my district has a gentleman who attends every board meeting. There is a reason. I imagine his father left him a very nice estate. I imagine that the taxes are just tremendous on that estate. What was the last thing he asked for? He called me and he said, I need you to get me a copy of the TIMMS test. I said, why do you need a copy of the TIMMS test? He said, I am not satisfied with what we might be doing locally. I want to know how we are doing on the national, the international level. The superintendent said, if you get the test, I will give it. The TIMMS test is available, and many States take advantage of that to determine how their students are doing in math and science.”