[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S345-S346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. JEFFORDS (for himself, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Lott, Mr. McCain, 
        Mr. Mack, and Mr. Coverdell):
  S. 2. A bill to extend programs and activities under the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.


                     educational opportunities act

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join the distinguished 
Majority Leader in introducing the ``Educational Opportunities Act.'' 
This legislation extends programs authorized under the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and will serve as the foundation for our 
efforts this Congress to expand and strengthen those programs.
  The 106th Congress will see the close of the 20th century and the 
birth of the new millennium. At such a time, one quite naturally begins 
to imagine the advances and challenges--the promises and perils--which 
lie ahead. As a nation, we have viewed the future with optimism. We 
know the march of civilization may at times be uphill, but we see it as 
nevertheless moving upward. We know as well that the success of our 
efforts will not rely upon luck, but upon hard work and thoughtful 
planning.
  It comes as little surprise, therefore, that at this time in history 
our thoughts turn to education. From the kitchen table to the board 
room to the halls of Congress, education heads the agenda. That is as 
it should be, as we rediscover the truth in Aristotle's observation 
that ``all who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been 
convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth.''
  Reauthorization of federal elementary and secondary education 
programs offers this Congress an opportunity to make a lasting mark on 
the programs and policies which will define the role of the United 
States in the coming century. Our international competitors have long 
observed and admired our system of education. Unfortunately, in all too 
many cases, the pupils have surpassed the teacher. We lag behind many 
of our competitors. We must pick up the pace, and we must do so without 
delay.
  The renewed emphasis on education has stimulated thinking and has 
produced a wealth of ideas regarding the paths we should follow. As 
chairman of the Senate committee charged with pulling these ideas into 
a sound and coherent package, I am looking forward to a Congress which 
is both challenging and productive.
  It is my hope that the Educational Opportunities Act will build upon 
the education successes of the 105th Congress. We enacted nearly a 
dozen important initiatives which touched the lives of students of all 
ages--from youngsters in Head Start and Even Start, to special 
education students, to high school vocational students, to college 
undergraduates and graduate students, to adults in need of remedial 
education.
  These successes were possible because of a willingness to work 
together towards common objectives. In the United States Congress, we 
begin with 535 individual road maps marking a course to our 
destination. Arriving there will require the good faith give-and-take 
which has characterized our finest moments as a democracy.
  The legislation which Senator Lott and I are introducing today does 
not fill in all the blanks regarding federal elementary and secondary 
education policy. What it does do is set the cornerstone for a final 
product in which I believe each and every member of Congress will take 
pride.
  The findings and purposes contained in this legislation are intended 
to underscore the basic building blocks of

[[Page S346]]

success; parental involvement, qualified teachers, a safe learning 
environment, and a focus on high achievement by all students.
  Everyone has a role to play in assuring our students acquire the 
knowledge and skills they need to make the United States number one in 
the world.
  Parents are the first and most consistent educators in a child's 
life. Reading to young children and emphasizing the importance of 
education instils a love of learning which lasts a lifetime.
  The teacher in the classroom is at the core of educational 
improvement. Without a strong, competent, well prepared teaching force, 
other investments in education will be of little value. It has been 15 
years since the national crisis in education was raised by the ``A 
Nation At Risk'' report. The admonition was given in these terse words: 
If a foreign government has imposed on us our educational system we 
would have declared it an act of war.
  Yet little has changed. There is some improvement in science but 
little in math. Children are coming to school slightly more prepared to 
learn, but this is primarily in the area of health.
  It is obvious that nothing is going to change unless it changes in 
the classroom. And nothing will change in the classroom until the 
teachers change. And the teachers can't be expected to change until 
they have help in knowing what is expected of them.
  The Higher Education Amendments enacted into law last October took 
significant steps towards demanding excellence from our teacher 
preparation program. With the Educational Opportunities Act, we now 
have the opportunity to focus on those already in the teaching force.
  State and local officials are also important players. Not only do 
they provide the bulk of financial support for elementary and secondary 
education in the country, they are also undertaking significant 
initiatives to determine what children should know and to assess 
whether they have mastered that material.
  The federal government, since the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act was initiated in 1965, has offered support for these efforts--as 
well as providing critical additional resources to offer extra help to 
educationally disadvantaged students. In addition, the federal 
government makes a significant investment in research. A key challenge 
for us will be determining how the federal investments can be most 
effectively targeted. The research we support must not only be sound 
but must also be useful and readily available to states and localities.
  Ultimately, the focus of all of our efforts must be on the student in 
the classroom. The training of teachers, the establishment of 
expectations, and the development of assessments are all pieces of the 
puzzle which take shape in the classroom itself. If we keep that 
objective foremost in mind, we will build the educational system we 
need and that our children deserve.
                                 ______