[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15027]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

  (Mrs. CAPPS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, in 2002, the House passed the No Child Left 
Behind Act, the biggest Federal overhaul of our public school system in 
decades. Now, 5 years later, the Congress has an opportunity to 
reevaluate the law and address what doesn't seem to be working.
  During last week's Memorial Day district work period, I met with 
teachers, parents and school administrators to listen to their thoughts 
on NCLB. I wanted to hear from the people who are in our classrooms 
every day. They have seen firsthand the success and failures of the law 
over the last 5 years.
  The most important thing I heard is that there isn't a single 
teacher, parent or administrator opposed to accountability, but they 
sure had a lot to say about how we measure it. I learned that, 
regardless of a school's status, everyone had similar concerns with the 
accountability measures and assessment of subgroups by the law.
  Hearing firsthand about the implications of NCLB through my 
classrooms visits and meetings with parents, teachers and school 
administrators was a powerful and instructive experience. As we 
continue the process of reauthorizing NCLB, I encourage us all to visit 
schools, talk to teachers, see for ourselves how this law is affecting 
our public schools. A little more time in the classroom is good for us 
all.

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