[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                  S. 2

 To extend programs and activities under the Elementary and Secondary 
                         Education Act of 1965.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 19, 1999

 Mr. Jeffords (for himself, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Lott, Mr. McCain, Mr. Mack, 
and Mr. Coverdell) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To extend programs and activities under the Elementary and Secondary 
                         Education Act of 1965.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Educational Opportunities Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Returning control to parents.--Parents have the primary 
        responsibility for their children's education. Parents are the 
        first and best educators of their children. Congress supports 
        proposals which provide parents greater control to choose new 
        and unique opportunities to meet the educational need of their 
        children.
            (2) Supporting exceptional teachers.--Every child should 
        have an exceptional teacher in the classroom. Congress supports 
        rewarding teachers for their successful efforts. Congress also 
        believes in schools being more accountable to parents. Every 
        parent deserves to know if their child is being taught by a 
        teacher who is highly qualified.
            (3) Safer and more secure.--Quality instruction and 
        learning can only occur in a first class school that is safe 
        and orderly. No child can learn when schoolyards attract random 
        violence or classrooms are interrupted by disruptive behavior. 
        Congress supports proposals that give schools the tools the 
        schools need to protect teachers and students, remove 
        disruptive influences, and create a positive learning 
        atmosphere.
            (4) Dollars to the classroom.--Congress rejects a one-size-
        fits-all approach to education. America's rural schools often 
        face challenges quite different than their urban counterparts. 
        Congress believes that students should be the primary 
        beneficiaries of educational spending. Congress supports the 
        goal of ensuring that the maximum amount of Federal education 
        dollars are spent directly in the classrooms. State and local 
        communities should have the freedom to tailor their education 
        plans and reforms according to the unique educational needs of 
        their children.
            (5) Basic academics.--Success in education is best achieved 
        when instruction is focused on basic academics and fundamental 
        skills. Students should no longer be subjected to untried and 
        untested educational theories of instruction, rather our 
        Nation's education efforts should be geared to proven methods 
        of instruction.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is--
            (1) to put our Nation's children first by creating first 
        class schools because nothing is more important to the future 
        of our Nation than the education of its children;
            (2) to give parents and local schools more control over 
        their schools;
            (3) to make our Nation's schools safe and secure, and 
        return to an emphasis on basic academic and quality 
        instruction; and
            (4) to support those exceptional teachers who make a 
        difference in the lives of our Nation's children.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES.

    The authorization of appropriations for, and the duration of, each 
program or activity under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is extended through fiscal year 2004.
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