9418 Hon. Maxine Waters
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9418 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 25, 2000 education authority here and federalizing our finest schools in the world—schools held ac- thousands of Colorado students (with thou- schools are nonetheless powerful. countable to the parents who rightly demand sands more on waiting lists), charter schools ‘‘Before we continue spending more tax real results for their children. are public schools created through a contract, money trying to find a solution to [America’s Last October, Mr. Speaker, the House or charter, with local school agencies. They education] problem, maybe we need to under- passed important legislation providing states are open to all children. Colorado’s 68 charter stand the problem better,’’ said Joey Lopez of and local school districts more control and schools are afforded a high level of autonomy Ft. Collins, Colorado recently when he testified flexibility. Commonly known as ‘‘Straight A’s,’’ and flexibility over curriculum and operation in before Congress. A seventeen-year-old Ft. the Academic Achievement for All Act gives exchange for maintaining high standards for Collins High School senior, Lopez understands states the freedom to raise student academic student achievement and unique goals laid out what Americans intuitively know: It’s going to achievement through more flexibility in spend- in the charter. As founding parent of the Lib- take much more than cold hard cash to im- ing federal education funds. This bill is a giant erty Common School, a charter school in Fort prove our nation’s schools. It’s takes the inno- step in the right direction. Rather than relying Collins, I have personally experienced the vation, hard work, and committed leadership on Washington-based programs, Straight A’s positive results of a good charter school com- of parents, teachers, students, and elected of- give states and local school districts the free- munity. ficials everywhere. dom to focus resources on locally proven ef- Dr. Katherine Knox, headmaster of Liberty Mr. Speaker, most Coloradans agree with forts and solutions. Common School, recently testified before the Lopez. He typifies our independent, western This is the kind of reform Colorado and House Education Committee and underscored spirit which is among the chief reasons our every state needs and wants. In a letter to the importance of local autonomy. According state ranks well for its ongoing efforts to im- Congress, Gov. Owens stated, to Knox, prove education. Like other top-performing Colorado has schools that are blazing a Though we all want quality in funding, and states, including Texas, Michigan, Florida, and trail of change. More schools and states need accountability for results, we don’t want greater flexibility in their use of federal dol- strings attached that allow subtle and in- North Carolina, Colorado excels not just be- creasing federal direction and control of cause of the money it spends, but because of lars. As the father of three children who at- tend three different public schools, I am local schools. The momentum for charter its dedication to innovative and proven edu- proud to put my full support behind Straight schools comes locally, and the attitude and cation policies producing solid results for chil- A’s. This legislation will allow the diverse culture is positively different in a good char- dren. areas, schools and people of Colorado to de- ter school because of the local control. Where schools are concerned, Coloradans cide what they need most for their schools. Ensuring a successful and well-funded edu- have never been content to entertain trendy Placing more authority in the hands of local cation system in each of America’s fifty states national initiatives. Our history has rather per- school boards will also ensure more dollars is important in the nation’s effort to leave no suaded us America’s education challenges will end up in classrooms. Meanwhile, officials at child behind. But this laudable goal will never not be answered in Washington, D.C. by fed- the U.S. Department of Education have been be attained until we first remove the shackles eral agents who do not know the names of so busy devising and enforcing their various of an intrusive and unaccountable federal bu- Colorado’s principals and teachers, much less rules, and restrictions that they have failed to reaucracy indifferent to the needs of our chil- the names of the children. Enduring solutions account for the billions in precious tax dollars dren. Local control is our best hope for edu- are more likely to be found in diverse commu- entrusted to them to help promote education. cation excellence, Mr. Speaker. nities throughout each of America’s fifty states, As part of an ongoing effort to root out As a member of the United States Con- just as the U.S. Constitution suggests. waste, fraud, and abuse in federal govern- gress, I relish the chance to do everything That neither words ‘‘education’’ nor ‘‘public ment, my colleagues and I on the Education within my elected capacity to ensure every schools’’ are mentioned anywhere in the Con- Committee have uncovered evidence of wide- child in America has access to the best edu- stitution is a fact that surprises many, Mr. spread financial mismanagement at the De- cation possible. My primary guide will continue Speaker. Responsibility for educating Amer- partment of Education. Eight months behind to be the common-sense opinions of Colo- ican youngsters was deliberately and wisely schedule, the department last November re- radans, our home-spun western orientation for reserved to the states and to the people—and leased a financial report in which its auditors quality, and our abundant love for our families. it still is. determined the agency’s 1998 books were not These are the important components of a suc- America’s Founders understood well the auditable. In other words, the department cessful free-market education system estab- value of a locally controlled framework of could not account for how it managed its $120 lished and championed by the great state of schools, and the perils of a federally co-opted billion budget that year. Colorado. one. They knew it was better to have deci- At an investigative hearing on Capitol Hill in f sions made independently by the several March, we also found, amount other things, HONORING THE INGLEWOOD UNI- states, each free to innovate and duplicate evidence the department violated the Credit FIED SCHOOL DISTRICT OF successful methods rather than subsist under Reform Act by hoarding $2.7 billion in edu- INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA one mandate for all. cation funds improperly in an internal account. Following decades of increasing federal In addition, we’re currently monitoring an on- meddling in our local schools, Americans have going Justice Department investigation of a HON. MAXINE WATERS OF CALIFORNIA learned all to well how perceptive our Found- computer and electronic equipment theft ring IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ers were. Since 1980, for example, the federal operating within the department. government has funneled over $400 billion Mr. Speaker, such widespread and chronic Wednesday, May 24, 2000 through the U.S. Department of Education bu- mismanagement is clearly not in the best in- Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, it is with ex- reaucracy. Unfortunately, the percentage of terest of our children. That is why in March the treme pride that I come to the floor of the money actually making it back to classrooms House unanimously passed legislation I au- House of Representatives today. I want to is far less. thored directing the General Accounting Of- share the fantastic accomplishments of some Coupled with the modest amount of federal fice—the federal government’s financial inves- of my constituents—the students, parents, funds local schools receive each year is a tigative arm—to conduct a comprehensive teachers, administrators and school board rep- mountain of red tape, regulation, and costly fraud audit of the Department of Education. resentatives of the Inglewood Unified School unfunded mandates foisted upon each public Students, parents, teachers, and schools all District in Inglewood, California. school administrator. Washington provides suffer when scarce resources are lost in the A recent Los Angeles Times article, about seven percent of an average school’s bureaucracy instead of invested properly in ‘‘Inglewood Writes the Book on Success: It’s budget, yet the amount of contingent paper- education. It is past time for Congress to end Elementary Schools Draw Experts Studying work and compliance burdens requires an es- such waste and abuse and force the Depart- How Poor, Minority Kids Get Test Scores as timated 48.6 million hours of paperwork each ment of Education to place the interests of High as Beverly Hills’: Keys Include Phonics, year. America’s schoolchildren first. Constant Testing, Intensive Teacher Training’’ A growing number of my colleagues in Con- Mr. Speaker, Colorado is doing just that. by Duke Helfand highlights the phenomenal gress are of the opinion that empowering One of our state’s most innovative and suc- educational achievements by Inglewood’s stu- states and local communities is the surest way cessful efforts has been the creation and pro- dents. The article extensively chronicles the to help states reestablish for themselves the motion of charter schools. Currently benefiting success of this urban school district. VerDate jul 14 2003 13:56 Sep 16, 2004 Jkt 079102 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 9920 E:\BR00\E25MY0.000 E25MY0 May 25, 2000 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 9419 The article explains that Inglewood’s Ele- That success seems attributable to reforms from those measures are just now moving mentary school students, 98% of whom are that feature an intensive focus on basic read- into the middle schools. African-American and Latino, have scores on ing skills, constant testing to detect stu- Those reforms began to take root in the district three years ago under the late Supt.