Political Quotes

“I rise to join with Senator Lautenberg to introduce the Public School Modernization Act of 1999. I was gratified that so many Members of this body recognized last year that the need for school construction and modernization is vital. The legislation that Senator Lautenberg and I are introducing is designed to help States build new schools and repair and modernize outdated ones, so that our children will have a better, more modern and safe environment in which to learn. A few weeks ago, the Thomas Jefferson Center for Educational Design at the University of Virginia issued a devastating report detailing the alarming condition of many of Virginia's schools. Over 3,000 trailers are being used to hold classes. Two out of 3 school districts have held classes in auditoriums, cafeterias, storage areas, and book closets, and 53 percent of Virginia school districts had to increase the size of their classes in order to accommodate their divisions' growing student populations. We know that smaller class sizes do, in fact, have a dramatic impact on student learning, especially in the first 3 years. So in order to give our children the learning environment they deserve, we have to fix the leaky roofs, build the additional classrooms, and build more schools to accommodate our growing student population, and to reduce class size.”