[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10282-10283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               EDUCATION

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, later this afternoon we will turn to the 
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  I wish to take just a couple of minutes to talk about a couple of 
amendments to the education bill that I have offered with colleagues. 
These amendments have not yet been voted on but I expect both will be 
approved.
  Education is very important. I am pleased it appears we will now 
finish this bill. This Congress has a responsibility to address the 
issue of education in a thoughtful way. We understand there are plenty 
of challenges in our educational system. We have schools that don't do 
as well as we would like. At the same time, I want to be sure to say 
there are a lot of wonderful schools in this country and a lot of great 
teachers who are educating our children.
  More Americans have completed a high school education today than at 
any other time in history. At a time when we talk about the 
deficiencies in education, 84 percent of the American people are now 
completing a high school education. In France, only 52 percent of 
adults have a high school education. In the United Kingdom, 68 percent. 
In Japan, 70 percent.
  With respect to virtually every aspect of life in this country, one 
can take something and hold it to a light and say, isn't this ugly, and 
one can find a perfection that is ugly. But generally with respect to 
education, I ask this question: If public education in this country has 
not worked, how is it we have reached this position in our lives? The 
United States has done so much for so many over so long a period of 
time. The progress that has been made is remarkable.
  I came to the Congress many years ago to initially serve in the House 
of Representatives. I have told my colleagues a story about going into 
the office of the oldest Member of the House at the time named Claude 
Pepper, a great public servant. He was then in his eighties, and his 
office was virtually a museum of posters and photographs. Two pictures 
in particular that were hanging behind his desk in his office stuck out 
to me. One was a picture of Orville and Wilbur Wright making the first 
airplane flight. It was autographed to Congressman Claude Pepper by 
Orville Wright before he died. It was autographed to Claude Pepper: 
With deep admiration, signed Orville Wright. Beneath that picture was a 
picture of Neil Armstrong stepping on the Moon, and it was autographed 
by Neil Armstrong to Congressman Claude Pepper.
  I was struck by that. Here are two pictures: Of the first Americans 
to fly and then the first American to fly to the Moon. I thought about 
the relatively short timeframe that is represented by those pictures. 
What a breathtaking advance in technology and learning that allowed us 
to build aircraft that not only left the ground in airplanes that were 
primitive, but also flew all the way to the Moon for a lunar landing.
  What is that about? It is about education. We achieved these 
advancements in America's classrooms. Those young scientists and 
engineers and mathematicians, the young talents all across this 
country, starting 1st grade someplace, went through high school, and 
went to college. They created progress in so many areas. Yes, in space, 
but also in medicine and so many areas this country has progressed.
  Education is critically important. I wanted to say it at the front 
end. Those who somehow criticize our public educational system as a 
system that has failed America, in my judgment, are dreadfully wrong. 
This public system of education has empowered every young child in this 
country to be the best he or she can be. We have challenges, no doubt 
about it, and we should deal with those challenges.
  I propose a couple of things to deal with some challenges. I propose 
we have school report cards. Every young person in school occasionally 
comes home with a report card; that child's school and the teachers 
evaluate how students are doing and they grade them and give them a 
report card. Parents and taxpayers get no such report card that 
evaluates how the school is doing. What is their tax money buying? What 
is the level of achievement of that school? What kind of progress are 
those students making? How effective is this school at promoting 
learning among its students?
  My proposal is to give parents a school report card that provides the 
opportunity to understand how a school is doing versus a neighboring 
school, how a school in this county is doing versus schools in another 
county, or how schools in this State compare to those in another State, 
so parents and taxpayers can hold a school accountable.
  We need a school report card that is reasonably standardized across 
the country. Thirty-seven States have created school report cards, but 
there content varies widely and most parents have never ever seen one. 
I think we ought to be about the business of asking for report cards on 
the progress of our schools. I understand the report card language has 
been included as part of the underlying Manager's amendment, and I 
think that provision will represent some progress.
  The second amendment I offer with my colleague, Senator Enzi from 
Wyoming, who will be here later today, is an amendment that talks about 
establishing technology academies in the public school system. I am not 
talking about setting up separate buildings. I am talking about 
providing some assistance to allow public schools that want to offer an 
in-depth curriculum in technology to do so. Those young students who 
are adept at technology and want to pursue technology-related careers 
can, through a technology academy curriculum, come out of that school 
system with a much stronger background and be able to fill some of the 
jobs that go wanting in this country.
  Last year we had a debate about increasing the number of H-1B visas 
to meet our country's need for technology workers. Why do we need 
people coming into this country from other countries to perform that 
work? Because our schools are not producing the right kind of trained 
individuals in sufficient quantity to eliminate the need for the H-1B 
visas. So I supported those new visas. But it seems to me a smart thing 
for us to do is to strengthen the depth and breadth of the technology 
curriculum in those schools that want to do that. That allows those 
students who want to go into a technology job to be prepared for the 
future.
  Technology, obviously, is very important. The increase in information 
technology and telecommunications, the breathtaking advances in those 
fields, are quite remarkable. I come from a State that is a rural 
State. In the past, we have always been far from markets

[[Page 10283]]

and therefore disadvantaged. But with information technology, with one 
click of a mouse, North Dakota is as close to the Hudson River as 
Manhattan. Distance is dead.
  If distance is dead, opportunity is born, especially if you come from 
a rural State. And if that is the case, then let us develop technology 
academies through the incentive I would provide in this amendment with 
my colleague, Senator Enzi, to allow public schools to strengthen their 
curriculum in technology. Those students who want to move in that 
direction and fill those jobs that are now going unfilled ought to have 
that opportunity by coming out of our school system much better 
prepared to do so.
  Those are two amendments I will be offering. My understanding is the 
first will be accepted as part of the underlying Manager's amendment, 
and the second will be adopted by a voice vote. I appreciate that. I 
think both of them will improve this bill.
  Let me also say my colleague, Senator Enzi, will, I believe, come to 
the floor to speak about the technology academy amendment at some later 
point in the debate.
  Finally, let me say this. Thomas Jefferson, in a famous quote, said 
about education:

       Those who believe that a country can be both ignorant and 
     free believe in that which never was and never can be.

  Education is critical to the success of this country and its future. 
Education is just critical. It is the root of virtually everything 
else, the seedbed for progress in every other area. If we talk about 
defense, talk about social progress--everything we talk about has its 
roots in education. The issue of education is not complex. Education 
works when you have three elements: A teacher who understands how to 
teach, a student who wants to learn, and a parent involved in that 
student's education. When all those are present, education works, and 
works very well.
  When it works well and where it works well, which is in many school 
districts across our country, I am enormously proud of what we are 
doing. I have sat in schoolrooms with dirt floors in the country of 
Haiti, for example, where a very small percentage of the children are 
getting educated in a very primitive way. I have sat in schoolrooms 
across the world in other countries, and wondered why these children 
will not have the opportunity they should have.
  But I have also visited many classrooms in our country, and I would 
say from those experiences that I am enormously proud of what we have 
done. I am proud this country is the country that says every young 
child, regardless of origin, regardless of parentage, regardless of how 
much money they might have, is going to have an opportunity to be 
everything he or she can be. That is the way our school system works. 
That is not true in some other countries. Some countries pare the 
children down very quickly and send them down different routes and 
different paths, saying to some, you are not eligible to be on the path 
going towards college, you are going to go somewhere else. That is not 
the way we do things in our country. In our country, every young child 
sees that flame of opportunity that beckons: You can do it.
  I spoke at a college commencement ceremony this weekend with hundreds 
and hundreds of graduates. I looked out at those graduates who came 
from every corner, every conceivable background. Every single one who 
was announced was accompanied by a hoot, a howl, a hurrah, and a yeah 
from the audience because those families understood this is a big day 
and big achievement. So, too, is education success for our country. 
That is why I am pleased we are going to finish this bill and very 
pleased the two amendments I have offered will be included.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 3 minutes to 
speak in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, if the Senator will yield, we are in morning 
business until 2:30, so if he needs a few minutes after 2:30?
  Mr. ALLARD. No, I just need 2 minutes now. I thought I might be 
encroaching on time set aside for the Democrats.
  Mr. REID. You have, on your own, 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.

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