Sheila Jackson Lee: “First of all, let me thank the managers of this legislation, who have really brought together an important concept, and…”

“First of all, let me thank the managers of this legislation, who have really brought together an important concept, and I just want to call the name of the bill: the Advancing Competency- Based Education Demonstration Project. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I am a big supporter of pilots because pilots provide information, and information generates a concrete program. Mr. Polis, thank you so very much for bringing up my amendment, and thank you both, the chairman and the ranking member, for supporting this amendment. Let me be very keen on what it is both to Chairman Kline and to Mr. Polis. This is to take what you have and to add to it or, I might say, to make it better. The reason is that information is a gift. If you have information, you can do a lot of things. Mr. Chairman, I work with a lot of Historically Black Colleges, so the Jackson Lee amendment would direct the Secretary of Education, prior to any deadlines for colleges or universities to submit applications for the consideration in the pilot program, to conduct outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic- serving institutions, Native American-serving, nontribal institutions, institutions serving students with special needs, and institutions located in rural areas to provide information to them on the opportunity to apply to carry out a pilot demonstration project under this bill. It is a whole gamut of individuals and colleges that this bill is directed to engage.…”