[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21600]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CIRO D. RODRIGUEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 2003

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to convey remorse at having missed 
two votes on an issue of great significance to me as a former educator, 
a vote against vouchers and a vote in favor of our public school 
system.
  Unfortunately, I was called to act in my capacity as the Chairman of 
the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to host a series of important 
candidate debates that will have serious implications on the future and 
direction of this country.
  If I had been present I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 478, 
an amendment offered by Representative Davis, to H.R. 2765, the fiscal 
year 2004 appropriations bill for the District of Columbia.
  If I had been present I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 479, 
an amendment offered by Representative  Norton, to H.R. 2765, the 
fiscal year 2004 appropriations bill for the District of Columbia.
  As responsible members of Congress we must focus on ensuring all 
students in the District of Columbia, and across the country, have the 
tools for success. We must provide the necessary resources to ensure 
that all of our students have access to the proven keys to educational 
success--smaller class sizes, more parental involvement, up to date 
materials, and high quality instruction.
  We should not give up on our public schools. Especially now just as 
reform efforts in D.C. are showing results. According to the D.C. Board 
of Education, recent reforms have resulted in improved test scores for 
public school students and academic gains in low-performing schools. By 
contrast, there is no evidence that vouchers will improve achievement 
for disadvantaged students.
  Vouchers will not increase parental choice. Under voucher plans, the 
choice is in the hands of private schools, which can decide whether or 
not to participate in a voucher program and can discriminate in 
admissions.
  Finally, when I supported the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in the 
last Congress it was with the understanding that as a country we were 
focused on raising the level of accountability for the schooling of our 
children. The implementation of voucher programs like this undermines 
the public accountability component of NCLB. Private schools would not 
have to account to the public for how they spend tax dollars or require 
their students to meet the same standards or take the same assessments 
as public school students.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the understanding of the House and my 
constituents on this issue.

                          ____________________