[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 125 (Thursday, September 23, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DOLLARS TO THE CLASSROOM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 23, 1999

  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the Dollars to the 
Classroom Resolution, to benefit schoolchildren and teachers all across 
this country, by calling on education agencies at all levels to get 95 
percent of federal education dollars into the classrooms of this 
country. A similar resolution passed the House 310-99 in the 105th 
Congress.
  Further, the Dollars to the Classroom Act language to codify the 
principles in the resolution also passed the House in the 105th 
Congress.
  I have been working on this legislation because I believe in the 
importance of doing all that we can to improve the academic achievement 
of our public school children. How is this accomplished? We believe 
that empowering the teachers and bolstering the classroom resources of 
our kids directly improves their learning process.
  When we think of our childrens' efforts to learn, we often think of 
the tools that go into forming and shaping their young minds: tools 
like books, globes, computers . . .  and things like flash cards, 
spelling tests, and calculators. We do not think of bureaucratic 
programs and stacks of paperwork. Yet, many of our federal dollars that 
go to elementary and secondary education do not reach our kids. That's 
why Dollars to the Classroom is so important. This is a simple concept. 
Instead of keeping education dollars here in Washington, let's ensure 
that 95 cents on every federal dollar is sent directly to parents, 
teachers, and principals who are truly helping our children in the 
learning process.
  Passage of the Dollars to the Resolution, followed by the Dollars to 
the Classroom Act would mean millions in new dollars for schoolchildren 
across the country.
  This is the next common sense step in our efforts to improve public 
education for the students of the next millennium.

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