Political Quotes

“it is a great opportunity we have as we debate over the next several days the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which makes fundamental improvements to education programs that are long in need of such reform. Declining student performance, especially as we compare the performance of our students in public schools to the performance of students internationally, simply demands a new response. Our students deserve better. It is time to change our Federal education programs to ensure that school districts, schools, States, and parents have the tools they need to provide a high-quality education for all children. As we look back over the last 30 or 40 years, there have been waves of education reform, but each of these waves seems to have been washed away as shifting sand, leaving little trace of permanent improvement in public education in this country. Even as funding has increased over time, performance has fallen, as we compare our students internationally, leaving teachers and parents to wonder if anything can be done to reclaim those years of lost potential. There is, however, a new movement of education reform sweeping the United States of America. Because of it, we have a unique opportunity to significantly and permanently improve education in this country.”