We know the new law will actually drive up premiums--according to the Congressional Budget Office estimates, average premiums for families will go up by $2,100 because of the new law.

The Joint Committee on Taxation has repeatedly told us that the taxes in the new law will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums.

However, there is a vast disconnect between a teacher who meets certain requirements on paper and one whose teaching has a true impact on students in the classroom.

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It is also important that the leadership in our schools supports good teaching and student achievement, encourages innovation with results, and creates a safe learning environment.

I would like to thank Chairman Harkin and Senator Enzi and the members of this committee for their great efforts to take advantage of this opportunity and reauthorize ESEA in a bipartisan and effective manner.

I believe that the underlying purpose we had in No Child Left Behind regarding highly qualified teachers was a good one.

Strategies mandated from Washington will simply not solve the problems facing these schools.

If we are going to mandate interventions from the Federal level, we need to be clear about why we are mandating such reforms.

Rural and frontier schools and school districts are unique and often need unique solutions to their unique problems.

I am very concerned that requiring school districts to use one of the four school turnaround models for schools identified for school improvement will adversely affect rural or frontier schools.

I want to thank you for your diligent work in moving us along on fixing No Child Left Behind.