[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 19 (Friday, February 3, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H949]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LET'S WORK WITH PARENTS, NOT AGAINST THEM

  (Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of 
Teachers spoke recently on valuing the input of parents in building 
great public schools, but the actions of one AFT affiliate stand in 
stark contrast to that vision.
  As Chicago resident Michael Hendershot explained in The Wall Street 
Journal, his daughter's elementary school was forced to lay off its 
librarian last year. Fortunately, parents stepped up and volunteered 
their time to keep the library open. Unfortunately, the Chicago 
Teachers Union shut down the parents' plan and the library along with 
it. It seems anything that weakens union control over the school must 
be stopped, even if it denies students access to their library. How 
shameful.
  If we want to build great public schools, then we must work with 
parents, not against them. So let's work together--Congress, the new 
administration, and the American public--to empower parents and help 
all children receive an excellent education.

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