Political Quotes

“I come to the floor to once again urge my fellow Senators to vote against this resolution, which will weaken our bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act and will hurt students and schools across the country. I wish to quickly run through the reasons why passing this resolution will hurt our students. First, voting for this resolution will throw States and school districts into chaos just as they are beginning to implement this law. Secretary DeVos has already sent a letter to State chiefs suggesting that a new State template for plan submission would be coming, less than a month before approximately 18 States and the District of Columbia intend to submit their plans. This timeline will not allow enough time for the stakeholder review process that is required in the law and may force States to reopen their plans and delay implementation of the law. Secondly, the Every Student Succeeds Act is a civil rights law at its core. We know from experience that without strong accountability, kids from low-income neighborhoods, students of color, kids with disabilities, and students learning English too often fall through the cracks, and now it is up to all of us to uphold the civil rights legacy of the law and its promise for students by voting against this resolution. I wish to spend a little more time on the third reason. It should concern all of us that if this resolution passes, it will give Secretary DeVos a blank check to promote her anti-public school agenda.…”