[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 39 (Thursday, March 11, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E411]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EDUCATION FLEXIBILITY PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    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:

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 800, the 
Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999 and I commend the 
distinguished gentlemen from the education committee, Mr. Goodling and 
Mr. Castle for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.
  This legislation will provide states and our local education 
officials with greater flexibility in using federal education funds to 
support locally-designed, comprehensive school improvement efforts. 
Currently only 12 states have this ability, but this bill would extend 
this flexibility to all 50 states. Supported by many groups such as the 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National School Boards Association, and 
the New York State United Teachers, the expansion of the ed-flex 
program will give states and local school districts, much needed 
regulatory relief to pursue education reforms, while maintaining a 
level of accountability.
  To ensure that this program will not be abused, the Secretary of 
Education must determine that a state has an approved title I plan or 
has made substantial progress in developing and implementing state 
content standards and assessments under the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965, in order to be eligible for ed-flex waivers. 
Moreover, states are required to develop detailed improvement plans, 
specific to the waiver authority requested, and must continue to comply 
with basic federal requirements concerning civil rights and educational 
equity.
  Ed-flex will reduce the federal demands on local school districts and 
will allow local officials the freedom to choose between what works and 
what doesn't work for their specific school system. This will in turn, 
help the federal government to see what federal regulations are not 
being used by local districts and allocate those funds to other 
programs that the state and local officials deem necessary and useful.
  This program helps everyone. Local districts will have the 
flexibility to customize their schools to bring about maximum 
performances from their teachers and students, and the federal 
government will learn from the local and state officials which programs 
work and which programs need to be changed.
  Once again I applaud the efforts of the Education Committee and I 
urge my fellow colleagues to support the ed flex bill.

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