[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 12 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H573-H574]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK

  (Mr. ROKITA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National School 
Choice Week and talk about the importance of choice for parents when 
deciding where to send their kids.

[[Page H574]]

  For millions of families, their local public school simply cannot 
provide the education that their child needs. For instance, recovery 
schools create a safe environment for students who are struggling with 
addiction to drugs and alcohol.
  As chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood and Secondary 
Education, I accompanied Secretary DeVos last September when she 
visited the H.O.P.E. Academy, a recovery school located in 
Indianapolis, Indiana.
  There, I heard the story of Jeremy, who, like many kids, wanted to 
fit in. One day, Jeremy reconnected with an old friend, who offered him 
marijuana. Before long, he was using and selling even harder drugs. 
Eventually, he was blacking out and was arrested. He could not find the 
help he needed at his local school.
  Thankfully, he and his parents found and enrolled in H.O.P.E. 
Academy. Because of H.O.P.E. Academy, Jeremy got clean, enrolled in 
seminary, and met his wife. Just 1 year ago, they welcomed their first 
child.
  It is because of these stories, and so many others, Mr. Speaker, that 
I fully support the right of parents to find the school that works best 
for them and their kids.

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