[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 57 (Tuesday, May 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H1672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SCHOOL CHOICE WORKS

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, children should not be trapped in a failing 
school where they cannot possibly reach their fullest educational 
potential. That is why H.R. 1 includes a school choice program that 
enables parents to send their children to another school, public or 
private, after 3 years of chronic failure.
  Public support for school choice is strong, especially among African 
Americans. A survey conducted in 1999 by the Joint Center for Political 
and Economic Studies found that approximately 60 percent of African 
Americans favored school choice. According to a bipartisan poll for the 
National Education Association conducted in February, 63 percent of 
Americans say they support President Bush's approach to school choice.
  Moreover, school choice programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Florida 
have met with significant success. Howard University's Jay P. Greene 
found that since Florida's A-Plus school choice program began, student 
test scores have improved across the board. There is evidence that the 
A-Plus program has compelled failing schools in Florida, now under the 
threat of losing their students, to improve performance.
  It is our responsibility to empower parents to make the right 
decision for their children's future.

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