Kay Granger: “I rise today in support of school choice for the parents of the District of Columbia. I do so because I believe a good…”

“I rise today in support of school choice for the parents of the District of Columbia. I do so because I believe a good education is an American right, not a privilege, and today too many of our young people have had their rights denied. I support school choice. As a teacher and a mother, no one supports America's teachers more than I do. As a former public school teacher myself I realize, recognize and respect the vital role that teachers play in shaping and challenging young lives and eager minds. I believe our teachers are America's heroes. And as I like to say, most people spend their lives building careers, but teachers spend their careers building lives. It is precisely because of my support for teachers that I support school choice. I believe allowing parents to choose a school will allow schools to treat teachers with the respect and authority and dignity they deserve. Schools will be able to hire good teachers at good pay for doing good work, and teachers will be empowered to teach sound basics and in safe classrooms. For too long we have allowed our teachers to be taken for granted while our students have just been taken. I believe school choice will empower our schools, our communities, our teachers and our students. We can do no less for our children, although they deserve much more. School choice is good news for America's teachers but it is even better news for America's parents.”