[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                               GOALS 2000

  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, I would like to respond and will respond 
to the Republican leader and to the distinguished Senator from New 
Mexico, but before I do, I will just indicate that I do intend, after a 
considerable amount of deliberation on the subject, to vote for the 
Goals 2000 proposal of the President. I have some significant 
reservations but I spoke to a number of the cosponsors of the 
legislation and I spoke with Secretary Riley.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print a letter in the 
Record from the Governor of the State of Nebraska in support of Goals 
2000.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:
                                                State of Nebraska,


                                              Executive Suite,

                                     Lincoln, NE, January 8, 1994.
     Hon. J. Robert Kerrey,
     U.S. Senate, Hart Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Bob: The reservations you shared with me recently 
     concerning S. 1150, the Goals 2000/Educate America Act, 
     prompted me to double-check the substance and trust of this 
     major piece of legislation.
       The language clearly states that nothing in the legislation 
     can be interpreted by ``any federal official to mandate, 
     direct, or control the curriculum or program of a state, 
     local education agency [school district], or school, or the 
     allocation of State and local resources.'' It also provides 
     financial support for systemic school reform, a new form of 
     assistance that has been missing from the federal array of 
     narrow and mostly top-down categorical federal education 
     programs. Furthermore, the act provides for waivers from 
     existing federal regulations if such waivers are needed for 
     advancing local reform efforts. Finally, it assigns 
     coordination and oversight responsibilities for national 
     policy to an intergovernmental body dominated by elected 
     state officials (the National Education Goals Panel, which I 
     had the privilege of chairing) and an independent standards 
     certification body (the National Standards and Improvement 
     Council), not to the federal executive or legislative 
     bureaucracies.
       We Governors are champions of America's unique system of 
     locally-governed public schools. We have worked hard every 
     step of the way to ensure that this legislation provides an 
     energetic and yet appropriate national and federal framework 
     to support state and local education improvement efforts. 
     Given the size and scope of the educational challenge facing 
     the U.S. in this fast-paced and tension-filled global 
     economy, and given the fact that states and schools in 
     Nebraska and across this great nation are already actively 
     engaged in significant reform, it is incumbent on the nation 
     as a whole to join in the process of challenging and 
     assisting all young learners to higher levels of achievement.
       In striking new postures for this nation and its federal 
     government, the Educate America act clearly raises questions 
     about the balance between local control and initiative, on 
     the one hand, and federal powers on the other. Governors from 
     both parties have concluded that this legislation, while not 
     perfect, is appropriate and workable. We are committed to 
     overseeing its implementation and will be quick to call for 
     corrective action if such proves necessary. I welcome your 
     support and assistance in establishing this new national 
     thrust and in furthering an effective partnership at all 
     levels to make all young Americans world-class learners.
           Sincerely,
                                               E. Benjamin Nelson,
                                                         Governor.

  Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, all the concerns that I had for a heavy-
handed approach from the Federal Government have been resolved, I must 
say. I appreciate very much the Labor Committee's hard work on this, 
and the administration's hard work on this. I remain concerned about 
some of the aspects of the legislation but, in general, it seems to me 
it does provide a very good framework for us to reform education from 
the ground up.
  I make it clear, Mr. President, those who, like myself and others, 
the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts, have pushed this 
legislation because it requires we set higher standards, make it clear 
that we as individuals, as parents in particular, but we as 
individuals, as citizens, are going to have to work harder. Our 
standards will not be achieved simply as a consequence of enactment of 
legislation. After discussing this with the sponsors and with the 
Secretary and the Governor of the State of Nebraska, I come to the 
consequence of believing this will indeed give us a framework for doing 
real grassroots groundwork support and reform of education.

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