[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EDUCATION FLEXIBILITY PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 800) to 
     provide for education flexibility partnerships:

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support the Education 
Flexibility Act. Republicans in the House are working on a bipartisan 
basis to put education back in the hands of local teachers and schools, 
and provide relief from federal regulations that only serve to stifle 
innovation in education.
  H.R. 800 will give states and communities more decision-making 
flexibility. This flexibility is crucial to ensure that schools can 
promote the best opportunities for our children so that they may reach 
their greatest learning potential. This bill also creates real, 
measurable accountability standards for teachers to encourage them to 
bring out the best in every child at school.
  With the passage of the Ed-Flex, my home state of Washington will 
finally have the opportunity to utilize this flexibility when designing 
their education programs. Local districts and schools, such as Tahoma 
High School in Maple Valley, will have the flexibility to design a plan 
that works for Tahoma, not bureaucrats in Washington, DC. By broadening 
this plan from the original plan of 12 states to include the rest of 
the nation, we offer all states much needed relief from over-burdensome 
regulations.
  The proof is in the reforms already begun by states that participated 
in the ed-flex pilot program. In both Texas and Maryland, Ed-Flex has 
enabled school districts in each state to improve the test scores of 
their poorest children. In return for greater flexibility, both states 
have produced solid academic results.
  Ed-Flex is a program that works--for schools and for students. A Kent 
County, Maryland school with 60% of the students at the poverty level 
utilized ed-flex and now has the third highest test scores in the state 
for elementary schools. Parents of the students in this school know 
first hand the value of local flexibility. Their kids are improving 
their reading, writing, and math skills--some of the most important 
tools in life.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to think of the possibilities 
ed-flex can create in their home districts, to imagine how flexibility 
at the local level will stimulate new ideas and programs that will 
improve the quality of education for our children, and create 
opportunities for our teachers and educators to design plans that help 
our children reach their fullest potential. I ask my colleagues to 
support this bill.

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