Political Quotes

“I state that having been State superintendent, elected by the people in the State of North Carolina for two consecutive 4-year terms. Reading is something that every child needs to know. It is the foundation of all learning. And we are really talking about testing that in fourth and eighth grade, and we are talking about a voluntary test. This is voluntary. It is not mandatory. The other point I would make, Mr. Chairman, is that when we are talking about these issues, we are talking about the fundamental issues of education. Let me very quickly talk about my State for just a moment. In North Carolina we became a part of the National Assessment of Education Progress, and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Hoekstra] talked about that a few moments ago. That does not require a national curriculum. States can elect to be a part of it, and 45 States in this Nation have participated. I would say to my colleagues that North Carolina has volunteered to be one of the six States, and we will be a part of any national test that is put in place.”