Political Quotes

“I just want to state for the record that graduation rates have been up since No Child Left Behind was passed. Black and Latino children are doing better, so it has been working, but we need to continue to improve. Mr. Chairman, I would like to read the Statement of Administration Policy, which speaks to the administration position on H.R. 5. The Statement of Administration Policy goes as follows: The administration strongly opposes H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, as approved by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Congress must act in a bipartisan way to reform the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to help States prepare all children for college and careers by giving them flexibility from No Child Left Behind mandates. However, H.R. 5 represents a significant step backwards in the efforts to help all of the Nation's children and their families prepare for their futures. H.R. 5 abdicates the historic Federal role in elementary and secondary education of ensuring the educational progress of all of America's children, including children from low- income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and students of color. It fails to maintain the core expectation that States and school districts will take serious, sustained, and targeted actions when necessary to remedy achievement gaps and reform persistently low- performing schools. H.R.…”