[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        COMMENDING THE STUDENTS AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL

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                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 13, 2000

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, at an event back home in Washington State, I 
had the opportunity to speak and listen to a group of students from 
Mountlake Terrace High School in my Congressional District. The group I 
spoke with represents some of the best and the brightest of our nation 
and their voices ought to be heard as we debate education reform. After 
I spoke to them many of the students e-mailed me with their thoughts 
and I rise today to share a few of the concerns that they have about 
the issues that we are debating in this chamber.
  Justine, a student at Mountlake Terrace, stated the importance of 
good, high quality teachers. She wrote: ``They are the ones who are 
teaching us how to take care of this beautiful place when people like 
you become too old to do so.'' We are on the verge of a teacher crisis 
in our country. Our children recognize the effects that teachers have 
on our future--I believe that it is time for us to recognize this as 
well.
  I ask you to support a bill that I plan to introduce as an incentive 
for young people to enter into the teaching profession. Many of our 
young adults graduate from college strapped by enormous loans. My bill 
forgives the loans for those who teach in public schools for five 
years. This is a step in the right direction. It will help schools in 
all of our districts and we have the chance this year to make an 
impact.
  Second, many students addressed what we call the digital divide. 
Angee, another student at Mountlake Terrace wrote to me: ``I thought it 
would be cool to take classes off the Internet. That would be very 
beneficial to people in our school who may need a certain class to 
graduate that is not offered at our school.''
  We can address this issue. I have written to my colleagues on the 
Appropriations Committee asking them to fund technology initiatives 
that make Advanced Placement courses widely available to students by 
teaching them via the Internet. This is a real opportunity for us to 
expand curricula and at the same time allow students to develop more 
sophisticated computer skills. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
finding ways to use technology to enhance and expand educational 
opportunities.
  Third and finally, a student wrote to me: ``I would like to know what 
you would do to keep drugs out of school and how you would keep guns 
out of the hands of people who might commit crimes or be a danger to 
themselves.'' This is a good question and unfortunately the answer is, 
``Not enough.''
  Both Houses of Congress have passed Juvenile Justice legislation. To 
Members serving on the Conference committee--I ask that you go out into 
your communities and talk to students like the ones in my district and 
be sure that you can respond to their concerns about safety. Students 
realize that they have a responsibility to look out for each other and 
they know that they need to continue to do this. Parents also have a 
responsibility to be sure that they listen to their children and be the 
architects of a moral code of conduct for their family. As lawmakers we 
too share this responsibility to make our schools and communities safe. 
We cannot lecture parents, children, teachers and families about what 
they should be doing if we have not stepped up ourselves to address 
this issue where we can.
  We stand now at a unique cross roads in American history. We enjoy a 
time of prosperous peace and economists predict that we will have a 
budget surplus in the federal budget. We are in a position to invest in 
the next generation of our nation. Unfortunately, our political system 
does not allow the students that I met with to vote. Imagine what would 
happen if they could. Think about what will happen in a few years when 
they can. They have asked me to help them and I challenge you--my 
colleagues--to join me and embrace the ideas represented by the next 
generation of Americans.

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