Political Quotes

“the Gorton-Frist amendment is based on two philosophical principles. The first of those principles is that the present system under which 7 percent of the dollars going into education come from the Federal Government, together with 50 percent of all of the rules and regulations under which that education is provided, is not necessarily either in theory or in practice the best way to set policies for our public schools or to fund those public schools. It is based also on the philosophy that parents and teachers and principals and superintendents and elected school board members all across the United States not only care more about the children in their trust but are better able to set the educational policies for their children in their schools than are bureaucrats in Washington, DC, or even Senators in the U.S. Senate. The Gorton-Frist amendment, however, forces these two philosophical distinctions or principles on no one. Under this amendment, any State that likes the present system of Federal control is authorized to retain it. Any State that believes educational policy should be set at the State capital through a State school board or Governor or State superintendent of public instruction is free to adopt such a system. And any State that believes, as we do, that local control and local spending policies are best, is free to adopt that policy. We also guarantee that no State will lose money under this amendment.”