[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24912]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                   LOCAL CONTROL OF EDUCATION NEEDED

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, Republicans know that children 
are our top priority. We are working to get dollars directly to the 
classroom. We want to encourage greater accountability for schools to 
raise test scores and graduation rates. We want to maximize our 
education funding by rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse.
  Parents should have the right to save money for educational 
opportunities for their children, and they should be able to choose the 
school that best works for them. Even Democrats realize that there is 
growing frustration with the current state of education in America, and 
perhaps it is time for major reform.
  Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government must continue to free States to 
use funds for proven State education programs.
  President Clinton and Vice President Gore want more Washington 
control. They think Washington knows best. We know that parents, 
teachers, and local school boards know better. There is no one-size-
fits-all program for America's children. Some schools need more 
teachers, others need better teacher training, new computers or new 
buildings. Even the hardest working, best intentioned bureaucrat in 
Washington, D.C. cannot know what our needs are at home.

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