[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 91 (Thursday, June 24, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7588-S7589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               EDUCATION EXPRESS ACT OF 1999 (ED-EXPRESS)

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, yesterday, Senator Domenici and I 
introduced the Education Express Act (Ed-Express). This legislation 
builds on the success of the Ed-Flex bill, which earlier this year 
passed the Senate and House of Representatives by overwhelming margins, 
and was signed into law in April.
  It is critical that this Congress builds on Ed-Flex's themes of 
flexibility and accountability. As we consider the Reauthorization of 
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we must continue the push 
to cut red tape and remove overly-prescriptive federal mandates on 
federal education funding. At the same time, we must hold states and 
local schools accountable for increasing student achievement.
  Flexibility, combined with accountability, must be our objective. The 
end result of our reform effort must spark innovation--innovation 
designed to provide all students a world-class education.
  This need for flexibility and accountability in education was 
repeated again and again in hearings held by the Senate Budget 
Committee's Task Force on Education. The Task Force, on which Senator 
Domenici serves as an Ex-officio member, and I serve as the chairman, 
issued a report entitled ``Prospects for Reform: The State of Education 
and the Federal Role.''
  In this report the Task Force made several recommendations of ways to 
improve the federal education effort. The number one recommendation 
noted, ``In light of the continuing proliferation of federal 
categorical programs, the Task Force recommends that federal education 
programs be consolidated. This effort should include reorganization at 
the federal level, and block grants for the states. The Task Force 
particularly favors providing states flexibility to consolidate all 
federal funds into an integrated state strategic plan to achieve 
national educational objectives for which the state would be held 
accountable.''
  The Ed-Express bill is the legislative response to this 
recommendation. Specifically, $37 billion over the next five years 
would be provided from the federal government as part of a larger 
consolidation of duplicative and limiting categorical programs into a 
much more streamlined and direct funding stream to states and 
localities for a variety of education purposes.
  We have a national emergency in education. To address this crisis, 
the federal government will commit additional resources for a five-year 
period in order to improve student achievement and the quality of our 
teaching force.
  This would infuse significant funds to the hands of parents, 
communities, and local/State governments to improve the education 
achievement of students.
  Under this plan, States may elect to receive elementary and secondary 
education funding by ``Direct Check.'' Incentives such as replacing 
existing burdensome federal categorical programs are provided to 
encourage States to choose the direct check option. A State, however, 
may choose to remain in the categorical system.
  In the spirit of Ed-Flex, this legislation that we introduced also 
looks to the Governors for leadership. States which opt for the Direct 
Check Flexibility will receive their education funding upon the 
adoption of a State plan written by the governor that outlines the 
goals and objectives for the funds.
  The Nation's governors are leading the way for education reform in 
this country. It was the Nation's Governors who helped bring about the 
successful passage of Ed-Flex. We at the Federal level must do all we 
can to advance the reform efforts taking place at the State and local 
levels.
  Ed-Express establishes a Challenge Fund, a Teacher Quality Fund, and 
an Academic Opportunity Fund.
  Challenge Funds would be provided to States and localities with the 
flexibility to design and implement programs to improve student 
learning. These funds may be used to purchase new books, hire teachers, 
promote character education, provide tutoring services for students, 
and for a variety of other education initiatives.
  Teacher Quality Funds may be used for such activities as providing 
professional development opportunities for teachers, merit pay, 
increasing teachers' salaries, and alternative certification programs.
  Academic Opportunity Funds may be used to provide governors who 
choose the Direct Check option with the ability to reward school 
districts and schools that meet or exceed state-defined goals and 
performance objectives for student achievement and teacher quality.
  The need for a consolidated Federal education effort has never been 
greater. I think that we are all familiar with the statistics that show 
our students are not able to keep up academically with their 
international counterparts. In fact, the longer a student stays in an 
American school the more his/her academic skills deteriorate. We must 
draw

[[Page S7589]]

upon innovative methods to correct this problem so that our children 
will be able to compete in the global economy.
  As a scientist, I know the value of looking for new ways to solve 
problems, and America has long had a proud tradition to innovation. Ed-
Express will create a whole new generation of inventors in the field of 
education--in particular, Governors, local school boards, teachers, and 
parents will be better able to put good ideas into practice.

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