Joe Wilson: “I am proud of President Bush for making positive change in our education system through the landmark No Child Left…”

“I am proud of President Bush for making positive change in our education system through the landmark No Child Left Behind legislation, which was championed by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the House. To promote this Act, we need to help disadvantaged school districts in our country, which are struggling hard to compete for high quality teachers in the basic skills. That is why I have introduced the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003, which passed the Committee on Education and the Workforce last week. This bill will attract highly qualified teachers to low income and rural areas by expanding the teacher loan forgiveness program from the current $5,000 to a maximum of $17,500 for teachers who commit to teaching math, science or special-ed in a disadvantaged district for 5 years. The goal is to ensure that America's children are prepared to succeed in a world based on science and technology. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 438. In conclusion, God bless our troops.”