[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6222-6224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               EDUCATION

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about education. 
Since we are going to seriously consider education reform in this 
Chamber during the ensuing days, I thought it might be appropriate for 
me to talk about it before I, and many others, offer amendments.
  New Mexicans and Americans agree, from everything I can tell, that 
improving the educational opportunities available to our children 
should be our top priority. The issue is whether or not we can reform 
the school system such that our children will perform better as they 
are educated in our public school systems in ensuing years.

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  There is ample evidence that it is absolutely imperative the public 
school systems do better, that more and more of our schools be held 
accountable, and that an accountability requirement be part of the 
reform measures the Senate will be considering in the next few days or 
weeks.
  For starters, going back to the days of our origin, I quote a very 
distinguished American who talked about investing resources. Benjamin 
Franklin said:

       An investment in knowledge always pays the highest 
     interest.

  Obviously, that is a very simple way of talking about our priorities 
and where we put our resources and where we might expect the best 
benefits for society. This great American in our founding days said: 
You will always get the best interest when you invest in knowledge.
  Later in the discussions there will be ample opportunity for Senators 
to assess the performance of the school systems across America and what 
is happening to our children--not everywhere but some places; not to 
all children but to substantial numbers by way of our desire to give 
them the basic skills with which to perform as students, as growing 
Americans, and ultimately as adults in our society, which is requiring 
more and more that people be skilled of mind, their cognitive skills be 
developed to the highest extent possible.
  The President of the United States, in suggesting reform of the 
educational system, also suggested with that reform there should be a 
substantial increase in the level of funding by the Federal Government. 
The President suggested we spend $44.5 billion for the Department of 
Education. That is an 11.5-percent increase over last year, but it is 
also $1 billion in new funding for a new reading program for young 
children, tied into the reform measures that we will talk about as the 
bill proceeds.
  It increases special education funding to a Federal share of 17 
percent. That is 17 of the 40 percent we have committed. It is the 
highest proportional share by the Federal Government in the history of 
the program. It doesn't do justice to our original commitment of 40, 
but for a 1-year add-on to the program, it is substantial. It provides 
$2.6 billion in the area of teacher quality funds. That is a 17-percent 
increase. It provides a $\1/2\ billion increase for title I grants to 
serve disadvantaged children.
  There is already bipartisan discussion between the committee members 
and the President. There will be a lot of discussion as to how to 
change the underlying laws we have had on the books for a long time, 
the bill that provides most of the funding for education and how that 
will be changed.
  The Senate will begin debate on a new act which is going to be called 
the Better Education For Students and Teachers Act. I will take a few 
moments to talk about my specific input which I will offer to the 
Senate.
  Americans and New Mexicans are concerned. Their highest priority is 
education. Second, most Americans and most New Mexicans are worried 
about what is happening to the character and the morals of our society, 
of our culture. That seems to be almost the second most important issue 
around. I will be offering on the floor what will be called the Strong 
Character for Strong Schools Act.
  It is important to note that reform does not only apply to math, 
science, and reading. While the current debate is centered on reform, 
our bill simply encourages the creation of character education programs 
at the State and local level by providing grants to eligible entities. 
The bill builds upon a highly successful demonstration program to 
increase character education contained in last year's ESEA bill.
  Since 1994, the Department of Education has granted seed money to 
some of our school systems to develop character education programs. 
Currently, there are 36 States that have either received some Federal 
funding or on their own have enacted laws encouraging or mandating 
character education. Thus, the time is now to ensure that there will be 
a permanent and dedicated funding source made available for character 
education programs.
  When we first look at character education, questions are asked. What 
is it? Will it work? Will teachers want to do it? I will cite an 
example of how it is being done in my State under a program called the 
Six Pillars of Good Character. I will read the words that equate to the 
six pillars and discuss it. The words are trustworthiness, respect, 
responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. These were developed 
a few years ago when a large group of Americans, under the leadership 
of a foundation in the United States that brought them together to talk 
about good character, the Josephsen Institute for Ethics, essentially a 
foundation that promoted ethics, was specific in coming up with six 
pillars of character.
  In my State, we have the largest number of public schools at the 
grade school level, junior high level, of any State in the Union that 
has incorporated these six pillars into the daily education of our 
children. The teachers love it. It empowers them to do some things they 
have always wanted to do. There are lesson plans that help them get 
across these six pillars as part of the normal education of our 
children.
  It is a joy to go to a school and see what is occurring in the 
hallways of the school. They chose one of the pillars of character for 
each month. If you go to the school when they chose ``responsibility,'' 
you will see the hallways laden with posters that contain ideas and 
events about responsibility. At the end of the month, they get together 
and talk about that pillar. You will see the most enthusiastic group of 
teachers and young people discussing what happened during that month 
with respect to encouraging responsibility and understanding of it and 
actions based upon it.
  Without telling the Senate how that got started, it is a glimpse of 
what can happen across America if we continue to encourage this kind of 
character education and ask more and more of our States to get involved 
and encourage them but not order them to do this.
  I thank Senator Dodd for his leadership. Since the departure of 
Senator Nunn, he has joined with me in promoting the encouraging 
startup funding for character education in the United States.
  In addition to that measure, Senator Kennedy will join me in a bill 
which will address itself to mental health needs in our schools. 
Essentially, it will say the mental health resources not in the school 
but which are in the community and are public should be used in 
collaboration with the schools for the counselors and for the young 
people. I think that bill will find general acceptance in the Senate 
and is something we ought to encourage.
  The third amendment I will introduce with a number of cosponsors has 
to do with the recruitment and retention of teachers. Rather than 
detailing this, I will do so when I introduce the amendment. It is 
obvious we need teacher recruitment and teacher development. We will 
promote this idea by advocating teacher recruitment and development 
retention centers within our States for the exchange of names to 
provide a program in the country on a purely voluntary grant basis 
where there would be internships by budding teachers with senior 
teachers known for their quality and competency, thus permitting a 
number of young Americans to have a half year or year service as an 
intern with an educator before they are placed in the classroom.
  I think it is going to be a worthwhile debate. There are many 
participating from the committee in the Senate. I do not happen to be 
on that committee, but I will participate to the maximum extent so 
these three amendments and ideas will be incorporated in amendments 
that will be offered on the floor.
  I know Senator Smith is waiting and I have exceeded my time, so I 
yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, under the time allotted to 
Senator Thomas I yield myself 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized for 5 minutes.

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