[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E96-E97]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE EXCELLENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 2001

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my 
colleague Mr. Kildee and other Democratic members of the House in 
introducing the Excellence and Accountability in Education Act, a 
comprehensive K-12 education reform bill.
  Along with proposals last week from President Bush and from Senator 
Joe Lieberman and Representatives Tim Roemer and Cal Dooley, this is 
the third education proposal unveiled so far this year to improve 
America's public schools. All three proposals share a great deal in 
common.
  Our schools are in a crisis. The school system, in too many 
instances, is failing to properly educate all of our kids. Frankly, it 
is nothing short of a crime that we have tolerated failing schools for 
so many years.
  But I believe strongly that this year is going to be different.,
  For many years, we have debated whether we have the will or the 
wallet to really fix our schools. I believe we are now at a time in 
history when we have both the will and the wallet to improve public 
school education. We have a President who has clearly indicated he has 
the will to impose real accountability and fix failing schools. But we 
must also provide real resources to get the job done.
  There is no point in misleading parents and schools by telling them 
we will help but without providing the investments that are necessary. 
This must be an honest process with respect to the policies and the 
resources that must go with them. In exchange for the recourses we are 
going to demand accountability. That will be a winning formula if we 
give it a chance. That is what we do in this bill today.
  In the last Congress, Mr. Kildee and I, and other Members of 
Congress, worked to enact many of other policies included in our bill. 
I am energized and encouraged that there now appears to be a great deal 
of agreement across party lines and political sectors on what is needed 
to improve public school education for all children.
  There is widespread agreement that if we provide adequate resources 
to schools and in return hold them accountable for meeting high 
standards, that all children, no matter their background, can have the 
opportunity to succeed in school. Such widespread agreement did not 
exist even one year ago.
  Here is what our bill would do.
  Our bill would hold schools accountable to high standards. It places 
particular emphasis on closing the ``achievement gap'' between 
different groups of kids--rich and poor, minority and non-minority. 
this is something President Bush and I both believe in strongly.
  Our bill would provide the greatest amount of resources of any 
proposal yet to help schools meet their standards.
  And our bill will continue to target resources on the most vulnerable 
children in the most difficult schools.
  Our bill provides real money in return for real reform.
  For example, we would double funding for the Title I program, boost 
funds to the lowest performing schools, and provide funds to improve 
assessment and accountability systems to make them fairer and more 
accurate.
  Let me clear about the differences between our bill and the approach 
taken by President Bush.
  Our bill would not divert public funds from public schools to private 
and religious schools, through vouchers or through any other means. 
Neither would the Lieberman/Roemer/Dooley bill.
  The issue vouchers, in my opinion, is a non-starter.
  Nor would our bill dilute or eviscerate key local education programs, 
such as the After-School and Safe-And Drug-Free Schools programs, 
school renovation, and the e-rate program that funds school and library 
Internet connections.
  I am open to discussing with my Republican and Democratic colleagues 
what we can do to

[[Page E97]]

streamline federal education programs at the state and local level. But 
he history of reduced funding and weakened accountability that comes 
with block grants suggests that we should approach this issue very 
cautiously.
  I want to add that our bill places greater emphasis in certain areas 
where the President places less and where we hope to work together to 
find agreement, specifically, in the areas of: raising teacher 
standards; creating financial incentives such as loan forgiveness and 
pay bonuses to attract teachers to high-need schools; improving state 
and local assessment and accountability; and investing more resources.
  I think the Miller/Kildee bill is the best approach in terms of 
committing new resources to schools, targeting effective programs, and 
holding schools accountable to high standards without abandoning them.
  I am encouraged by the beginning of this Congress and this new 
Administration. I take the President's commitment to education and to 
working with Congress very seriously and I look forward to making a 
difference this year for all children.

                          ____________________