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Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Chair, I represent Virginia's two largest school districts, which have a combined enrollment of more than 265,000 students. As a parent and former member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I know the success of our community and others across America is directly related to the quality of our local schools. Fortunately, we have strong local support for our schools, particularly within the business community, which recognizes the value of investing in our young people and future workforce. As a result, our community has the nation's premier high school for science and technology and strong academic achievement across all student groups. That has attracted families and employers to our region, which now is home to Virginia's largest public university and 10 Fortune 500 companies.
The long-overdue reauthorization of ESEA presents us with a tremendous opportunity to improve learning conditions for students and teachers. Sadly, the Republican bill before the House today retreats on that promise and, contrary to its title, will not provide the necessary tools for all students to succeed. H.R. 5 cuts federal education support by $1 billion next year and locks in the reduced levels of funding under sequestration for the foreseeable future. It also changes how those dollars are allocated, diluting services for low-income students and English language learners. That represents a disinvestment in our classrooms, and it will put our children--and our nation--at a competitive disadvantage. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce specifically cites the lack of rigorous college- and career-ready standards in opposing the Republican majority's bill. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Karen Garza also expressed concern about the reduced level of funding in this bill, and I am including a copy of that letter.
I also am troubled by the changes being made in the standards for children with disabilities. For all of its flaws, one of the positive outcomes of No Child Left Behind was the fact that it held school districts accountable for the progress of every child, which provided students with disabilities the opportunity to learn--and in many cases master--grade level content and advance alongside their peers. The Republican bill will cast that success aside and allow states to teach and assess students with disabilities under an alternate, less-challenging set of standards. That is unacceptable, and it is one of the reasons why organizations such as the National Disability Rights Network oppose this bill.
Further, the Republican bill does not adequately address two other important programs that support students in our community. First, H.R. 5 eliminates the dedicated funding for before- and after-school programs that have a proven record for providing academic and social support, particularly for at-risk students, and for improving classroom achievement. For example, when I was Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, we received a federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. At the time, we were concerned with the growing rate of gang participation and gang-related crime being committed by young people. We used that federal grant to help expand our after-school programs from just 3 middle schools to all 26. Community and business partners also came forward to provide summer-school scholarships and mentoring support. As a result, gang participation dropped by half. Unlike H.R. 5, the Democratic substitute offered by Ranking Member Miller would create a separate dedicated funding stream to support before- and after-school programs so that we are offering positive enrichment opportunities for young people.
H.R. 5 also reduces funding for homeless students despite the fact that we've seen a 57% increase in the nation's homeless student population in the past four years as a result of the Great Recession. Even in my district, which is ranked as one of the wealthiest in the nation, we have nearly 2,500 homeless students in our classrooms. That is a 40% increase compared to five years ago. We must do more, not less, to support these young people who should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep tonight while they try to navigate the social and academic challenges of a typical school day. The Democratic substitute will ensure more students suffering homelessness will receive the vital support they need to have some sense of stability in their lives.
Mr. Chair, the education of our children should not be driven by partisan ideology, yet that is what House Republicans have brought before us today. Their so-called reforms will, in fact, leave children behind. If we are to fulfill the promise of having a world-class education system, then we need to provide adequate support and funding for our schools, teachers, and students. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 5 and to support the Democratic substitute so we can do just that.
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