[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H5535-H5536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FUTURE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION

  (Ms. Bonamici of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the future of 
American education.
  For decades, public schools have been asked to do more with less. Add 
to that, the fact that we have seen many new and complicated challenges 
over the past 10 years.
  The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted learning and placed enormous strain 
on students, educators, and families. Importantly and alarmingly, 
screen time, cell phones, devices, and social media changed the way 
young people interact with each other and the world around them. 
Generative AI is transforming how students learn and how educators 
teach with serious consequences like cognitive shrinking and, as we 
have seen in international scores recently, decline at least partly 
attributed to digital distractions.
  Now, the Trump administration is trying to dismantle the Department 
of Education and slash the Federal support that closes opportunity gaps 
for millions of students in schools. At the same time, too many 
students are struggling. Students from low-income families, students of 
color, students with disabilities, and students in different parts of 
the country from urban to rural continue to experience significant gaps 
in achievement.
  We must change course. We need to move forward with a vision of 
public education that recognizes the challenges of today, a vision 
based on research and best practices. We need a vision that recognizes 
that today's children are tomorrow's leaders and are worthy of policies 
that create a better future.
  That is why I am introducing the Transforming Education for the 
Future Act. This legislation recognizes that a good education is about 
more than a test score. Every student deserves a well-rounded education 
that prepares them to be creative, critical thinkers who will be 
successful regardless of their background or the path they take in 
life.
  That means more hands-on, project-based learning. It means access to 
the arts, career and technical education, and civics education. It 
means career counseling to help students see a path to their future. It 
means instilling a love of learning, reading, and studying, not cutting 
the humanities.
  Students deserve a fair measure of how they are doing, but 
standardized test scores alone do not define a child's potential. This 
bill would encourage the use of multiple, high-quality measures to give 
families and educators a more complete picture of student learning.
  We also need to invest in the people who make learning possible. 
Teachers and school staff are the foundation of our public schools, yet 
educators continue to face low pay, difficult working conditions, and a 
shortage of resources. We must strengthen the educator pipeline, 
improve compensation and working conditions, and give educators the 
resources they need to succeed.
  We need to invest in what works. My bill would strengthen education 
research and promote evidence-based practices that improve student 
success and well-being. We must also address the barriers that make 
learning harder.
  Kids can't focus in school when they are hungry or if they are 
homeless. Lack of affordable, high-quality childcare is creating gaps 
at an early age. The Transforming Education for the Future Act would 
triple funding for title I to better serve students from disadvantaged 
backgrounds and the schools that educate them.
  It would establish free universal preschool for 3-and 4-year-olds 
through a Federal-State partnership. It would make school breakfast and 
lunch free and provide summer meals. These are not extras. They are 
investments that determine whether a child can learn, whether a teacher 
can teach, and whether a community can thrive.
  We need to keep the Federal Government focused on its responsibility, 
not to set curriculum, but to support the civil rights of students. The 
Federal Government has an important role to play in giving every child 
access to high-quality education regardless of their ZIP Code, income, 
or ability.
  That means protecting the Department of Education so it can carry out

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the responsibilities given to it by Congress. It means fully funding 
IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, so we finally 
fulfill the promise Congress made to students with disabilities and 
their families nearly 50 years ago.
  It means strengthening civil rights protections and addressing 
segregation in schools. It means investing in public schools, not 
diverting Federal dollars into voucher programs that funnel money to 
private schools, including religious schools.
  Circumstances have changed, but the American system of public 
education has not yet adapted. We need a public education system that 
meets the moment for today's students and tomorrow's. We need an 
education system that prepares students not to pass a test but to think 
critically and build a future. We need to support educators who make 
that possible, and we need to remove those barriers that stand between 
children and opportunity.
  The Transforming Education for the Future Act is a blueprint for 
doing just that. It strengthens public education, and it reclaims the 
promise that every child in America deserves the opportunity to grow, 
learn, and succeed.
  Mr. Speaker, that is the future our students deserve. That is the 
future we should build together.

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