[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 44 (Friday, March 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S3025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       EDUCATION-FLEXIBILITY ACT

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I was pleased to join 97 of my 
colleagues to vote in favor of the Education Flexibility Partnership 
Act, or Ed-Flex, last week. This bill expands the current federal Ed-
Flex pilot program to all states and allows them to waive certain 
federal education requirements for local schools, so long as schools 
are accountable for making education improvements, and does so without 
altering federal requirements concerning health, safety and civil 
rights. It is my hope that Ed-Flex can help increase student 
achievement by serving as a catalyst for innovative school reform at 
the state and local levels.
  Mr. President, while I am pleased the Senate passed the underlying 
Ed-Flex bill, I am disappointed that the bill includes amendments that 
would force local schools to choose between smaller classes and 
students with special needs. These amendments could undermine the 
important class size reduction program agreed to on a bipartisan basis 
last year. I was also deeply disappointed with the defeat of the 
Kennedy/Murray class size amendment, which would have built on the down 
payment of 30,000 teachers agreed to last year and finished the job by 
authorizing class size funding for the next six years.
  My own State of Wisconsin has been a leader among the states trying 
to reduce class size in the early grades. Wisconsin's Student 
Achievement Guarantee in Education or SAGE class size reduction 
program, has proven conclusively that smaller classes make a difference 
in our children's education. SAGE officials want the Federal Government 
to be a partner in Wisconsin's effort to reduce class size. Federal 
funds are an important complement to Wisconsin's ongoing SAGE program 
and will ensure that SAGE continues to thrive. The rejection of the 
Kennedy/Murrary amendment sends a discouraging message to schools in my 
State and across the nation that are just beginning to make decisions 
about how to implement the class size funds agreed to last year.
  It is very unfortunate Mr. President that two critically important 
federal programs, funds for special education and to reduce class size, 
were pitted against each other during the Ed-Flex debate. I am fully 
committed to funding for special education, but not at the expense of 
funds to reduce class size. The promise of these critically important 
education funds affecting our nation's children should not fall victim 
to partisan maneuvers. Congress should not be choosing one over the 
other--both special education and class size are national education 
priorities. American parents should know those in Congress who pit 
these programs against each other are the friend of neither.
  Finally, Mr. President, while I understand that Ed-Flex is not a 
panacea for America's education problems, I do believe it will improve 
the federal, state and local partnership needed to ensure our children 
receive the best quality education possible. I am confident that the 
conference committee will protect the class size funds agreed to last 
year and that Congress will vote on an improved version of Ed-Flex in 
the near future.

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