[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 106 (Tuesday, July 23, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE STUDENT SUCCESS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                      HON. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 18, 2013

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5) to 
     support State and local accountability for public education, 
     protect State and local authority, inform parents of the 
     performance of their children's schools, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Chair, I rise today in 
opposition to this bill and in support of New Mexico's children and the 
dedicated men and women who educate them. This bill cuts federal 
funding for education at a time when other countries are strategically 
investing in the next generation, and seeing positive results come from 
those investments. We can't afford to cut funding for education, 
especially when the U.S. is lagging behind in several key indicators. 
American fourth graders now rank eleventh in math and sixth in reading. 
And in a few years, we'll ask them to compete in a global economy 
without giving them the tools to succeed.
   But funding isn't the only problem with this bill, Mr. Chairman. 
This bill also fundamentally alters the federal role in education. 
Traditionally, the federal government has assumed the responsibility of 
maintaining equity in education. Of ensuring that students with 
disabilities, or students in low-income or unique communities, have 
equal access to a public education. This is particularly important in 
my home state of New Mexico, where students of color make up a 
significant portion of the school-age population. Provisions in the No 
Child Left Behind Act requiring that data be broken down into 
subgroups, and that schools be held accountable for the achievement of 
those subgroups, have allowed us to identify where there's more work to 
be done, and to begin shifting support to the areas where it's most 
needed. But we've got a long way to go. This bill represents a step 
back for equity, eliminating requirements that ensure that all students 
have access to the services they need, and that schools, school 
districts, and states are held accountable when they fall short of that 
all-important goal.
   When I talk to New Mexicans about what's wrong in public education, 
it's never that there's too much money, or that we provide too much 
support for our students facing the greatest challenges. It's that 
we're not getting funds to where they're most needed or providing 
support services that care for the whole child. That's why we can't 
afford to pass this bill; I urge my colleagues to reject this approach 
and oppose this legislation.

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