[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 13, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H2464-H2465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                A-PLUS ACT (NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REFORM)

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address important changes to 
the No Child Left Behind Act. I recently held a roundtable discussion 
on this issue with my constituents from all over the Fifth District 
held in Forsyth County, North Carolina. It was a great opportunity for 
me to hear from superintendents, board of education members, principals 
and teachers from across the district about their concerns with No 
Child Left Behind and their recommendations for program improvements.
  As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, it was 
important for me to hear firsthand what educators believe is working 
and is not working in No Child Left Behind.
  One of the main concerns brought to me during this roundtable was the 
role that special education students play in the Federal oversight 
process. Due to the wide-ranging needs and challenges faced by special 
needs students, it is becoming increasingly difficult for schools to 
meet Federal standards.

[[Page H2465]]

  It is apparent that the subgroup of special needs students is not 
accounted for in the way No Child Left Behind enforces standards on a 
state-wide basis. In fact, the unique needs of special needs students 
is often the only reason many of North Carolina's excellent schools do 
not reach AYP, or average yearly progress.
  Based on what North Carolina's educators are saying, the A-PLUS Act 
is a step in the right direction that responds to the needs of our 
teachers and students.
  The A-PLUS Act preserves States rights while keeping essential 
funding for our schools intact.
  Instead of cumbersome Federal mandates that take a cookie-cutter 
approach to education, the A-PLUS Act would give States the 
constitutional freedom to set their own education policies, based on 
the needs of their students, without burdensome Federal Government 
intrusion.
  This bill reduces the burden that Federal financial support poses on 
education programs so that teachers can focus on educating instead of 
paperwork and bureaucratic mandates. We have many wonderful teachers 
out there doing their best every day to do their job, and they are 
distracted from doing their job by this paperwork.
  By giving States back their full constitutional right to set 
education policy, this bill will encourage innovative solutions to the 
unique education issues faced by every State.
  The A-PLUS Act provides States and their local communities with 
maximum freedom and flexibility to determine how to improve academic 
achievement and implement education reforms.
  State and local governments should be in control of education 
policies, and the Federal Government's limits the responsibility should 
lie in providing incentives and accountability. Thus, A-PLUS allows 
States and local school systems the freedom to set up local 
accountability plans.
  In conclusion, local accountability places the emphasis where it 
should be, on students, parents and teachers, instead of on an often 
unresponsive Federal bureaucracy.
  And I want to support the comments made by my colleague from New 
Jersey, who reminds us that the Constitution doesn't have the word 
``education'' anywhere in it. It is not the role of the Federal 
Government to provide for the education of our children. It is the role 
of the States, the localities and parents, and I applaud him for 
bringing that to our attention. We need to have that brought to our 
attention every time the Federal Government starts getting involved in 
an inappropriate way.

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