[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7287]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FOLLOW MINNESOTA'S LEAD IN EDUCATION

  (Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my Governor, 
Arne Carlson, of Minnesota. Back in Minnesota we are very proud of our 
schools and we are very proud of our students. Many people listen to 
Garrison Keiler when he talks about Lake Wobegone, and sometimes we 
talk about the Lake Wobegone syndrome.
  In fact, we do believe our women are strong, our men are good 
looking, and our children are above average. And there is reason to 
believe that. If we look at the numbers, Minnesota students rank second 
in graduation rate. On the ACT test, we once again ranked in second 
place in all of the United States in 1996. But that is the good news.
  The bad news is, in some of the tests that we have been giving our 
students in the last several years on basic skills, Minnesota students 
are not doing as well as they should. In reading, for example, we asked 
students to read a few newspaper articles, then answer some questions, 
and only 59 percent of the students passed that test.
  That is why Governor Carlson, together with the legislature, began a 
process this year of real reform of our schools, and that was built 
around choices and giving parents more empowerment. It is tax credits. 
It is empowering parents with more deductibility for educational 
expenses.
  We in Washington ought to do the same. In fact, they say back in 
Minnesota, either lead, follow, or get out of the way. In terms of 
education reform, we ought to follow the lead of Governor Carlson and 
other brave Governors who are empowering parents to get better 
education for their kids.

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