[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 24781-24783]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               EDUCATION

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I want to just take a few minutes to 
review the education record. I think I have tried to outline in as an 
objective way as possible what the record is with regard to health, 
particularly with regard to children in the State of Texas, the 
Governor's record on the Patients' Bill of Rights, on the CHIP program, 
and also on the Medicaid program.
  I think one can't review that record--not only my statements or the 
statements in the most recent Time Magazine which have drawn 
effectively the exact same conclusion--and not reach the conclusion 
that children have not been a priority on the political agenda of Texas 
over the period of the last six years.
  On the issue of education, I spoke briefly yesterday in the Senate. I 
am troubled, as many of our colleagues, that we are not having cloture 
on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In spite of all of the 
assurances that were given by the majority leader and Republican 
leadership, we still failed to do it.
  I commend again our colleagues, Senator DeWine, Senator Jeffords, 
Senator Mikulski, and others for effectively concluding the Older 
Americans Act shows even in these final hours that bipartisanship can 
work in a very important area. I welcome the chance to work with our 
colleagues on the committee and the chairman to make sure that we are 
going to take action. That is an enormously important piece of 
legislation for our seniors.
  Education is enormously important for families as well. In spite of 
the fact that assurances were given by the majority, we still have not 
done so. For the first time in 35 years, we have not completed our work 
and reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  What has to be a central distress to all families is it appears now 
that the appropriations that are going to fund the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act will be the last train out of the station.
  They are more than 3\1/2\ weeks late after the end of the fiscal 
year. It is troublesome to me to hear all of the statements about the 
importance of prioritizing education when we see that we have basically 
failed to do our work here in the Senate on this issue.
  I want to take a moment to find out what we might look to in terms of 
the future, again looking to what has happened in Texas over the period 
of these last several years.
  On the issue of the record on education in Texas, it is more of an 
``education mirage'' than an ``education miracle.''
  Under Governor Bush, in 1998, according to the National Center for 
Educational Statistics, Texas ranked 45th in the nation in high school 
completion rates. Seventy-one percent of high school dropouts in Texas 
are minorities. Hispanic students in Texas dropped out at more than 
twice the rate of white students in the State.
  In August, the College Board reported nationally that from 1997 to 
2000, SAT scores have increased. But in Texas they have decreased. In 
1997, Texas was 21 points below the SAT national average, and by 2000 
the gap had widened to 26 points.
  Let me review that very quickly. Since we have had a lot of talk and 
we have had a lot of sound bites on education, let's look at what has 
happened.
  We will come back to what happened under the last several years in 
these same areas at the national level, which the Vice President was 
involved in and which he would like to see continued and expanded.
  On Tuesday, Governor Bush heard more bad news. The Rand Corporation 
released a study that raises serious questions about the validity of 
the gains in student achievement claimed by the Governor. On CNN in 
August, the Governor said: Our state . . . has done the best . . . not 
measured by us but measured by the Rand Corporation . . . who take an 
objective look as to how states are doing when it comes to educating 
children.
  Clearly, at that time, George W. Bush trusted the conclusions by 
Rand.
  On CNN, in September, Governor Bush said: One of my proudest 
accomplishments is I worked with Republicans and Democrats to close the 
achievement gap in Texas.
  The recent Rand study shows his claim is false. The achievement gap 
in Texas is not closing; it is widening.
  On Fox News, in August, Governor Bush said: Without comprehensive 
regular testing, without knowing if children are really learning, 
accountability is a myth, and standards are just slogans.
  But, the Rand study shows that the tests cited by Governor Bush to 
support his claim are biased. They found the gains in student 
achievement are the product of a discredited practice called ``teaching 
to the test,'' and that claims of real success in student achievement 
far exceed the actual results in Texas.
  The Rand study also says the gains in student achievement in Texas 
may be inflated, questioning the validity of the scores. According to 
the study, gains on the Texas State test are far greater than the 
results for the same students on standard national tests.
  The Rand study questions the value of the Texas State test because it 
involves teaching to the test instead of real learning. The Bush 
education plan has the same serious flaw. It focuses on tests, tests, 
and more tests. We, as a country, have more tests than any other 
country in the world.
  Inevitably, schools will focus more and more on test preparation, as 
happened in Texas with the State tests, and less on real teaching. In 
the end, it is education that suffers and so do the students.
  In addition, in Texas more and more students with disabilities are 
excluded

[[Page 24782]]

from taking the test, and more and more students are dropping out or 
being held back. That is not a satisfactory prescription for improving 
education.
  Instead, we should look at the success of States such as North 
Carolina, which is improving education the right way by investing in 
schools, teacher quality, and afterschool programs in order to produce 
better results for students.
  Governor Bush's plan mandates more tests for children but it does 
nothing to ensure schools actually improve so that children will obtain 
a better education.
  It is clear that Governor Bush is out of touch with parents and 
students when it comes to education. Governor Bush says everything in 
education is failing--it is all doom and gloom. His solutions go back 
to the old scheme to abandon public schools and refuse to make needed 
investments in education. He mandates more and more tests for children, 
but does nothing to help create the change needed to ensure that all 
the children pass the tests. He turns his back on what works and 
resorts to right wing policies instead, which are inadequate to meet 
the challenges of genuine school reform.
  Early education initiatives are especially important. Study after 
study has shown that children who have quality learning experiences 
early in life have a greater ability to learn in school, to work 
successfully with their teachers and their peers, and to master needed 
skills. We can do more--much more--to put this impressive research into 
practice. But Governor Bush has no plan to expand access to preschool 
education. He has no plan to expand Head Start--only empty rhetoric 
about reforming the program.
  Assistance for low-performing schools is also essential. We know that 
with needed investments, failing public schools will improve. In North 
Carolina, low-performing schools are given technical assistance by 
special state teams that provide targeted support to help turn around 
those schools. In the 1997-98 school year, 15 schools were selected and 
received intensive help from these state assistance teams. In August 
1998, the state reported that most of these schools had achieved 
``exemplary'' growth--and none continue to be identified as low-
performing. In the 1998-99 school year, 11 schools were identified and 
received help from the assistance teams. Nine schools met or exceeded 
their growth targets at the end of the year. That's the kind of aid to 
education that works, and we should support it in all states. Instead, 
Governor Bush abandons low-performing schools--and proposes instead a 
private school voucher plan that drains needed resources from troubled 
schools and traps low-income children in them.
  Another major problem hindering schools' ability to teach students 
effectively is the fact that many schools have obsolete, crumbling and 
inadequate facilities. All teachers and students deserve safe, modern 
facilities with up-to-date technology. Sending children to dilapidated 
and overcrowded classrooms sends an unacceptable message. It tells them 
they don't matter. No CEO would tolerate a leaky ceiling in the 
boardroom--and no teacher should have to tolerate it in the classroom. 
We have an obligation to children and parents to modernize the nation's 
schools--to build more schools, so that there are more classrooms and 
less overcrowding, and more computers and other equipment. It is long 
past time to end the days when the worst building in town is the school 
house with its crumbling walls and broken pipes and leaky roofs that 
plague students and teachers and classrooms. But congressional 
Republicans have repeatedly refused to address these pressing needs. 
Governor Bush doesn't do nearly enough either. He makes only a token 
investment in school construction, and he ignores communities' needs to 
repair crumbling and unsafe schools.
  Smaller classes are also an indispensable element of school reform. 
Research documents what parents and teachers have always known--that 
small classes improve student achievement. Teachers are able to 
maintain discipline more effectively. Students receive more individual 
attention and instruction. Students with learning disabilities are 
identified earlier, and their needs can be met without placing them in 
costly special education. Instead of applying this basic and widely 
accepted principle, Governor Bush eliminates the current and 
increasingly effective effort to help communities reduce class sizes. 
We must also make a stronger commitment to help communities attract, 
train and support the highest quality teachers and principals. Two 
million new teachers will be needed over the next 10 years, because of 
the large number of teachers nearing retirement and the continuing 
large increases in student enrollment. The shortage of teachers is 
compounded by the shameful fact that 50 percent of teachers leave the 
profession within 5 years.
  Instead of using our budget resources to strengthen programs that 
work to improve teacher quality and put well-trained teachers in all 
classrooms, Governor Bush would simply hand over a block grant to 
states--a blank check--and hope that state governors will spend the 
federal aid in ways that improve teacher quality. Clearly, America can 
do better than that. We have to do better than that. We must also do 
more to make college accessible and affordable. Parents and students 
across the country are also struggling to pay for college. The 
opportunity for a college education should not be determined by the 
level of family income. Any student who has the ability, who works 
hard, and who wants to attend college should have the opportunity to do 
so. We should do more--much more--to make college affordable for every 
qualified student.
  We also need to do more to help train workers who have lost their 
jobs because of corporate down-sizing or business relocations, so they 
can find other good jobs in their communities. Workers need 
opportunities to upgrade their skills to remain competitive, especially 
in the modern economy. Better services and real training for dislocated 
workers will give them the skills they need to continue their careers. 
It will also help to meet employers' growing needs for well-qualified 
workers. But, Governor Bush has no plan to make college more affordable 
or help these dislocated workers. He expands Pell grants primarily for 
the first year of college only. He makes only a limited effort to help 
the nation's workers upgrade their skills.
  The vast majority of Americans want us to address these challenges 
more effectively. We know that many schools across the country are 
doing an excellent job. The real challenge is to do what it takes to 
create better schools and better college opportunities for all 
students. Like Governor Bush, this Republican Congress deserves a 
failing grade for its lack of support for school reform. Too often, we 
have abandoned states and local school districts in their efforts to 
provide students with a good education. Too often, Congress has stood 
on the sidelines and declined to be an active participant in the 
nation's education policy. It is only through a strong and cooperative 
commitment at every level--federal, state, and local--that the nation 
can adequately meet its education needs. We have a responsibility to do 
all we can to meet the pressing challenge to guarantee that students 
will graduate from school and college well-prepared for careers in the 
new information-age and in our technologically-advanced economy and our 
competitive global society.
  That's what Al Gore and Democrats in Congress are proposing--a 
constructive and more effective balance between accountability for 
better results and additional resources for programs that work to 
improve schools. We will ensure that every child receives a good early 
education, by ensuring that preschool is available to all children. We 
will help communities improve public schools. Our goal is to put a 
well-trained teacher in every classroom. We understand that when class 
size goes up, opportunity for learning goes down. We will help schools 
reduce class size, so the nation's students can be taught more 
effectively. We will make major investments in helping communities to 
build new schools, to alleviate overcrowding and to repair and 
modernize

[[Page 24783]]

obsolete and dilapidated classrooms and facilities. We will hold states 
and schools accountable for results, so that all children have the 
opportunity to meet high standards. We will expand opportunities for 
college and later learning by making college tuition tax deductible and 
by increasing Pell grants. We will reach out to millions of 
disadvantaged young children and help them to see and believe that 
college can be a realistic option for their future. We will help the 
nation's workers obtain the on-going skills training they need, and 
provide tax credits for employers who offer worker training.
  In all of these ways, Al Gore's approach to education is the right 
direction for the nation's future. We have reached the final days of 
this Congress, and we have yet to give needed priority to education. 
Negotiations are underway, and there is still a chance to meet our 
commitment to families and communities across the country, and do what 
is needed to meet their education needs.
  At the end of this Congress, families across the country will assess 
what we have done to meet these priorities, and the verdict has to be, 
``too little, too later.'' This Republican Congress deserves a failing 
grade on education, and no ``election eve conversion'' is enough to 
avoid that failing grade. The American people share our Democratic 
commitment to the nation's students, parents, schools and communities. 
We have already made students and families across the country wait too 
long for this needed education assistance.
  We have seen the SAT math scores at their highest in 30 years. This 
is a very modest improvement nationwide, but all the indicators are 
going in the right direction as compared to Texas, and scores have 
increased both for males and females.
  The number of students taking advanced math and science classes from 
1990 to 2000: There is an increase in the number of students taking 
precalculus, calculus, and physics; students are taking more difficult 
and challenging courses. They are doing better on the national 
standardized tests. That is because they want to go to college because 
there is an increasing opportunity available to them under the 
proposals made by the administration. That is catching on with students 
all over the country because we are finding more and more students are 
taking the SAT. More and more students are taking the difficult, 
challenging, rigorous tests. Students are doing better in spite of the 
fact more are taking more difficult and challenging courses, and the 
national trends are moving in the right direction. That is completely 
contrary to what has happened in the State of Texas.
  This is not to suggest we don't have many areas of our country and 
many school districts that don't need a great deal of help and 
assistance. However, what we are seeing as a result of the 
administration, which Vice President Gore has been a part of, and he 
has been strongly supportive of, these education programs are moving in 
the right direction. They are moving in the right direction.
  When he talks about smaller class sizes, better trained teachers, 
mentoring in terms of teaching, afterschool programs, new technology, 
and accountability, it is being based upon the schools and school 
districts which are effectively breaking the mold where we are getting 
children with enhanced achievement and accomplishment. That is what I 
think families want in this country, not just cliches.
  I also wish to mention a final point of contrast between Governor 
Bush and the Vice President on the early education initiatives and how 
important they are. Study after study has shown that children who have 
quality learning experiences early in life have a greater ability to 
learn in school, to work successfully with their teachers, their peers, 
and master needed skills. We can do much more to put this impressive 
research into practice.
  We have some bold initiatives which are bipartisan. I commend the 
leadership, Senator Stevens, Senator Jeffords, and others who have been 
a part of this effort for some period of time. I think we have some 
real movement here. That debate has been independent of the broader 
issues on elementary and secondary education. I know in the Vice 
President's proposal, in terms of investing in the future, this early 
education program has an important commitment.
  I remind our colleagues that this whole area was an area that had 
bipartisan support a number of years ago when the Governors met in 
Charlottesville. The first recommendation was made to the American 
people that the Governors were going to be committed. We were 
challenging the administration. The Congress was ready to learn. 
Children ought to be ready to learn when they go to school. ``Ready to 
learn'' means giving those children the kind of confidence building 
that is so essential in the very early years, when their brains are in 
formation.
  Various Carnegie commission reports have demonstrated the early 
interventions help build confidence. They also demonstrate children 
begin to appreciate learning in these early formative years. Second, 
the children develop interpersonal skills which are enormously 
important when they begin their education experience. Finally, the 
tests show they develop a sense of humor, which I think is probably of 
value in carrying one through life.
  This early intervention has been particularly and repeatedly 
emphasized and stressed by the Vice President. It ought to be taken 
into strong consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Voinovich). The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. ALLARD. Are we in morning business?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. We are in morning business.
  Mr. ALLARD. I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to speak for 10 
minutes under morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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