[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]

 
                    OPPOSITION TO THE MACK AMENDMENT

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise to briefly state my reasons 
for opposing the amendment by the distinguished Senator from Florida to 
change the funding formula for the planning and school improvement 
grants authorized by this legislation.
  I oppose this amendment, Mr. President, because I believe it upsets a 
very delicate balance now in the Goals 2000 legislation between the 
role of national and State governments and local schools and 
communities in promoting and supporting education reform.
  The junior Senator from Florida is correct when he points out that 
education improvement in this country will depend on thousands of 
individual communities acting on their own to tailor school reforms to 
meet their unique local needs. That's one reason, Mr. President, that I 
so strongly oppose the kind of uniform, top-down approach to school 
improvement represented by so-called opportunity-to-learn standards.
  Under virtually all State constitutions, however, State governments 
play an essential role in financing and policy setting for elementary 
and secondary education. No significant reforms in local schools will 
take place without the leadership, authority, and, ultimately, 
deference of State governments.
  So, it is essential, Mr. President, that the role of State 
governments be recognized in this bill. It's appropriate that States be 
the conduit of funds for local school improvement initiatives. And, 
it's especially appropriate that States be able to reserve a small 
portion of the funds they receive to help design and implement the kind 
of policy changes that--under the distribution of authority we now 
have--only States are in a position to initiate.
  To adopt this amendment, Mr. President, would be to ignore that 
reality and to do serious damage to the essential role that States must 
play in encouraging and supporting education reform.
  I yield the floor.

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