On the recordFebruary 6, 2017
as we close this debate on Betsy DeVos, this debate should really be about public education. I support public education. Education is the closest thing to magic in America. Let me say again that again. Education is the closest thing to magic in America. I experienced that magic. As a kid growing up in a single-parent household, mired in poverty, disillusioned about life, I nearly flunked out as a freshman. I thank God for public education. But far too many kids--too many millions of kids today--do not have a quality educational choice in their communities. And what does that mean? There is a high correlation between incarceration, high unemployment, and lower lifetime incomes for those students who do not have quality public education. This Nation--the greatest Nation on Earth--has afforded a kid who almost dropped out of high school to become a U.S. Senator. Why? Because I found a path that included public education, and quality public education. So what does it look like in some of our cities? Let me give my colleagues an example from Detroit. Only 9 percent of African-American kids meet standards for English. Thirteen percent of White kids meet standards or exceed standards in English, and 12.5 percent of Hispanic kids meet or exceed standards in English in Detroit. We need to make sure that every child in every ZIP Code has a quality choice. The Secretary of Education cannot--cannot--privatize education. That would take an act of Congress.…
