[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 52 (Monday, April 28, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E760-E761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNITION OF HAMILTON ELEMENTARY AS ONE OF THE TOP TITLE I SCHOOLS IN 
                               THE NATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 28, 1997

  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to praise Hamilton Elementary School in 
Memphis, TN. On May 6, the U.S. Department of Education will recognize 
Hamilton Elementary as one of the top title I schools in the Nation. 
This is a prestigious award, based on rigorous and competitive process. 
Schools must compete with tens of thousands of elementary schools from 
around the United States for this award. The award recognizes a 
school's ability to help children meet high academic standards

[[Page E761]]

and advanced levels of performance. I am extremely proud of the 
accomplishments of Hamilton Elementary. When we set high education 
standards, children, parents, teachers, and administrators respond. 
Hamilton Elementary stands as a model for the entire Nation.
  Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is the 
Nation's largest Federal investment in local schools. It directs 
approximately $7 billion each year to cover 50,000 schools districts in 
the United States with high numbers of low-income families and 
students. With an emphasis on high academic standards and accelerated 
learning in core subjects, it is transforming schools like Hamilton 
Elementary. Title I is an investment that will pay dividends for years 
to come.
  Our work, however, is not over. According to the National Assessment 
of Educational Progress, the Nation's report card, only 28 percent of 
fourth graders read at a proficient or advanced level. Only 21 percent 
of eighth graders are proficient in math. On Friday, the Department of 
Education reported that ``education and training are strongly 
associated with increased productivity, higher rates of employment and 
higher paying jobs for Americans.'' At the same time, other 
industrialized nations are making productivity gains as these countries 
spend more to train and educate their work force.
  Today, more than ever, we owe it to our children to give them the 
education and skills they need to become productive participants in 
today's marketplace. High technology companies will shape the next 
generation of successful businesses in the 21st century. If we do not 
educate and train our young people to enter these high-skilled, high-
wage jobs, our global competitors will pass us. Hamilton Elementary is 
doing its part and I applaud them for it. I call on my colleagues in 
the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in honoring their 
accomplishment.

                          ____________________