Political Quotes

“I rise tonight as a dedicated education supporter and reformer to send this anti-public school bill back to committee. There is a right way and a wrong way to reform education in this country. It is absolutely wrong for the House to pass this voucher bill that sells out our children, our teachers, our public schools, and the American taxpayer. Let me make it perfectly clear, it is wrong to take the taxpayers' money to subsidize private schools. Mr. Speaker, prior to my election to the people's House, I served two 4-year terms as the elected State superintendent of the schools in my State. As school chief, I fought to improve, strengthen, and reform public schools so that every child would have the opportunity to live up to his or her God-given ability. I am tremendously proud of the record of accomplishment of the students, teachers, parents, and the entire community as they achieved improved performance in education. Earlier this year, the respected NAEP came out, the National Assessment of Education Progress, and documented their successes. North Carolina's eighth-graders gained 18 points over the last 6 years on NAEP. That is more than twice the national average. Our fourth-graders gained almost three times the national average. North Carolina students have improved the equivalent of one full grade level during the decade. In other words, eighth-graders this year were one full year ahead of eighth-graders in 1990.”