[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 16, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1044-E1045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 LOW-INCOME SCHOOL CHOICE EDUCATION BILL

                                 ______


                            HON. DAVE WELDON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 16, 1995
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing, with my 
good friend Frank Riggs, the Low-Income School Choice Demonstration Act 
of 1995.
  Mr. Speaker, in some parts of this great country, the state of 
education continues to decay--despite throwing more money at the 
problem. The liberal solution is more money, more bureaucracy, more 
regulation, and greater Federal intrusion into our schools.
  I, and my colleagues joining me on this bill, feel differently. We 
should focus on parental choices, deregulation of classrooms, the 
acquisition of essential skills and knowledge; and good, objective 
tests that tell us how our children are doing.
  Education is subject to a great many debates and ideas. One of the 
those ideas is allowing parents to choose the school their children 
attend. Some may say we shouldn't allow the parents to decide what 
school might best prepare their child for the world outside. But, I 
believe it is essential that we allow our parents to determine what is 
best for their children.
  In an article from the Washington Post this past weekend, a high 
school student was very surprised to find out she had scored perfectly 
on her SAT test. This was despite knowing she had incorrectly answered 
at least two questions. How could this happen? Well, currently the 
College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, is 
recentering the scores to bring the average back up to 500 points. It 
is a sad commentary on the state of our Nation's educational system 
when we have to lower the standards of education in order for our 
students to score well on their college entrance tests. This must stop. 
We must better educate our children.
  Breaking down old, outdated barriers and confronting the new paradigm 
of change and innovation has been the hallmark of this Congress. The 
first 100 days of this Congress brought a tremendous amount of change. 
The primary thrust of all the ideas that have been circulating is to 
reduce the role of Government and empower the American people to make 
their own decision about their lives. The Weldon-Riggs Low-Income 
School Choice Demonstration Act of 1995 is an innovative and creative 
way of changing the status quo in the debate about education reform and 
education choice for all Americans.
  This demonstration project is a tiny step, but a step nonetheless, 
toward change and a better educational future for our most valuable 
asset, our children.
  A good education is a key ingredient in ending the cycle of poverty 
that entraps so many of our Nation's children. This bill will liberate 
the parents of low-income children to choose a school that meets the 
educational needs of their children.
  Improved education is essential for our Nation's economic vitality. 
Our increasingly competitive global economy demands a well-educated 
work force, and this bill will serve as a catalyst for improved 
education.
  In 1986, almost 94 percent of high school seniors were unable to 
solve multistep mathematical problems or use basic algebra. In fact, a 
1994 survey by the Carnegie Foundation found that few college 
professors feel U.S. undergraduates are prepared for higher education: 
only 20 percent of professors believe undergraduates have adequate 
written and oral communications skills and only 15 percent feel 
undergraduates are sufficiently skilled in math and qualitative 
reasoning.
  As for literacy, most young Americans are functioning at rudimentary 
levels: enough to get through the day perhaps, but not enough to 
sustain a strong democracy, a competitive economy, and a vibrant 
culture. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, functional 
illiteracy costs U.S. businesses $300 billion in lost productivity 
annually.
  Our children need the opportunity to pursue a good education. If this 
educational opportunity is outside their school district, they should 
have the chance to take advantage of it and find their American dream 
through quality education.
  Last November, the American people sent me and many others to 
Congress to change the way the Government works. School choice is one 
step toward changing the attitudes of the Federal Government regarding 
education.
  Under the Weldon-Riggs education bill, the Secretary of Education 
would review applications from school districts around the Nation and 
select 10 to 20 school districts to participate in the school choice 
demonstration project. Children who are eligible for the Federal School 
Lunch Program could participate, and their parents would receive 
certificates to use at any public, private, or charter school in the 
area.
  Two $5 million grants would be available to the most needy districts. 
They would be targeted to those communities with highest number of low-
income children. The remaining grants would be in varying amounts up to 
$3 million.
  Parents could use the money to send their children to public, 
including charter schools, or private, including sectarian, schools of 
their choice. The money could be used to pay reasonable transportation 
costs and would be limited to the average per child expenditure in the 
local public school.
  The Weldon-Riggs school choice demonstration bill would cover 3 
years, with an initial cost of just $30 million. Each participating 
school district must submit evaluation information to the Comptroller 
General for review. Data from the demonstration project would be 
studied after the 3-year period and a report would be submitted to 
Congress.
  Earlier this year, Secretary Henry Cisneros of HUD said, ``Low- and 
moderate-income families should have greater power to make decisions 
about their lives, and government should support their quest for self-
sufficiency.'' This same principal should apply to education. These 
low-income families should have greater power to make decisions about 
their lives, that's what this bill does. [[Page E1045]] 
  Mr. Speaker, I urge more of my colleagues to sign on in support of 
this demonstration project and put a little hope and innovation into 
our education system.


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