Political Quotes

“I rise in strong support of the conference report, and I first want to commend the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Ford] and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Kildee] for their efforts, as well as the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling]. As the gentleman from Pennsylvania indicated, we did have some rather frank and vigorous discussions about this bill which resulted in the principal resolution of all these issues and resulted in, as he indicated in his remarks, a conscious recognition of the importance of local control of school policy, and I think this bill recognizes that fundamental tenet of American educational law that is truly the local communities and the States will guide educational reform. But what we have been able to do in this legislation is to provide a Federal catalyst to help those local reformers. This bill does not purport, nor in any way will it require, the Federal Government to manage reform, but it will, I hope, stimulate through these funds and through these programs vigorous efforts at the local level to reform our educational system. Now there are two basic components of this legislation. First, the establishment of voluntary standards, and I should hasten to add: voluntary national standards.”