Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I introduce the Family Engagement in Education Act with my colleagues Senator Coons and Senator Whitehouse. I thank Representatives Thompson and DeSaulnier for introducing the House companion of this bipartisan bill. Research demonstrates that family engagement in a child's education increases student achievement, improves attendance, and reduces dropout rates. A study by Anne Seitsinger and Steven Brand at the University of Rhode Island's Center for School Improvement and Educational Policy found that students whose parents support their education through learning activities at home and discuss the importance of education perform better in school. The importance of family engagement begins even before a child enters school. For example, Scholastic's recent Kids and Family Reading Report found that among children ages 6-11, 60 percent of frequent readers, those who read 5-7 days per week for fun, were read to aloud by a parent 5-7 times per week before they entered kindergarten. Too often, however, family engagement is not built into our school improvement efforts in a systematic way. The Family Engagement in Education Act will promote and strengthen meaningful family engagement policies and programs at the national, State, and local levels to ensure that all students are on track to be career and college-ready.…”