Congressman Ruben Hinojosa Commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Statement
Today-- U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa Ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training released the following statement on the 50th anniversary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
"Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) on April 11, 1965 heralding in a new era of opportunity in education for all children, no matter their economic, social, racial or religious status. Thus began a huge movement to level the public education playing field for all students across our great nation. I firmly believe all students deserve a world class education regardless of their background or their zip code."
"Over the past 50 years, we have made great strides in improving on our education system. Today we have the highest ever high school graduation rate across our country, but there is still much more work to be done. Today, the majority of the nation's public school children live in poverty. In Texas, students of color already comprise the majority of the public school students. Given these demographics, it is imperative that Congress work to improve access to equal resources so that we can close achievement gaps that still exist between the affluent and low-income students, students of color, those who are English language learners, and those with disabilities."
"The ESEA was designed to support schools and districts with high concentrations of poverty and providing them with desperately needed resources. We must always make certain that we are addressing the needs of all students, particularly those who are most in need. At the same time we must empower our teachers, school administrators and all educators by making sure they have the resources they need to succeed. We say our children are our greatest national resource. Then we must make them and their teachers a priority. Teachers should be compensated fairly they should receive targeted training and be given quality working conditions."
"When President Johnson signed the ESEA bill fifty years ago, he said "by passing this bill, we bridge the gap between helplessness and hope.' We as Democrats and Republicans must find common ground to reauthorize the ESEA and give all of our students in this great land a fair and fighting chance to succeed."
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