On the recordJuly 18, 2013
I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 5. I am in frequent contact with educators in my district in Wisconsin. One of the concerns I hear the most is that Federal money comes to local schools and districts in a variety of funding streams, each with its own restrictions and reporting requirements. I am constantly asked if there's a way that we can consolidate some of these funding pots so that schools can better apply the funds to those areas where they will have the most effect. These feelings are strongest in smaller or more rural schools, where funding tends to be the most limited. H.R. 5 would give them that much- needed local flexibility. Wisconsin schools are doing a lot of innovative things to prepare their students for success in the 21st-century economy. They know that the nature of work is changing: jobs in manufacturing, where Wisconsin is a leader, require critical thinking, the ability to be innovative and to work with people of varying skill levels, and the ability to communicate effectively. These skills were favorably noted in a 2012 National Research Council report and in a recent Gallup Poll that found that those who have those skills are twice as likely to have higher work quality than those who don't.…
