Statements On Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. President, as a fifth-generation Montanan and product of Montana public schools, I understand how important a first rate education is to our kids' future. By increasing local control of our schools and lessening the influence Washington bureaucrats, we can provide States with the flexibility needed to meet the unique needs of our students and communities. That is why I am introducing the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success, or A-PLUS, Act. By shifting control back to the states, individual and effective solutions can be created to address the multitude of unique challenges facing schools across the country. Through these ``laboratories of democracy,'' Americans can watch and learn how students can benefit when innovative reforms are implemented on the local level. The A-PLUS Act would give states greater flexibility in allocating federal education funding and ensuring academic achievement in their schools. With A-PLUS, States would be freed from unworkable teacher standards, Washington-knows-best performance metrics, and onerous Federal testing requirements that have failed to bring about promised improvements in academic achievement. States would be held accountable by parents and teachers because a bright light would shine directly on the decisions made by State capitals and local school districts. With freedom from Federal mandates comes more responsibility, transparency, and accountability on States. States would need to adhere to all civil rights laws and work towards advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged children as well. This legislation would go a long ways towards returning the responsibility for our kids' education closer to home and reduces the influence of the Federal Government over our classrooms. I want to thank Senators Grassley, Cruz, Lee, Rubio, Lankford, and Perdue for being original cosponsors of this bill and I ask my other Senate colleagues to join us in support of this legislation.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source