[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               EDUCATION

  (Ms. STABENOW asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support efforts to 
modernize our schools so that our children have the skills and the 
tools they need for the jobs that they will face when they graduate.
  Two years ago I was pleased, with the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Eshoo), to sponsor the Computer Donation Incentive Act to 
encourage businesses to donate computer equipment and software to 
schools to help upgrade the schools. Since that time in my district, we 
have wired almost 50 schools with volunteer effort.
  But we know that, if our children are going to learn, we not only 
need to have the hardware there, the software, be able to support 
teachers, to have the professional development and training they need, 
but our classrooms need to be smaller so that teachers can truly give 
children the attention that they need. That is why I am so strongly 
supporting the efforts to have the Federal Government be a junior 
partner in supporting communities to build new schools, to modernize 
their schools and to make sure that in order to have smaller classroom 
sizes, we have more classrooms and more teachers in those classrooms. 
This is a very important effort that the Federal Government needs to 
address. I urge it be a part of this year's budget.




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