Education

Floor Speech

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Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I wish to talk about our education system--why it is not working and what we can do to fix it.

Ensuring every child in this country gets a high-quality education is critical to our country's future. Education remains the primary tool to obtaining a good-paying job and building a middle-class life. But too many children are not getting the education they need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.

Nearly 20 percent of students don't graduate from high school. For Hispanic and African-American students, the dropout rate is nearly 25 and 30 percent, respectively.

Hundreds of thousands of high-skilled jobs remain unfilled, and too many Americans find themselves stuck in low-wage jobs that can't support their families. Simply put, our education system is failing our children.

There are a number of reasons for this. Our education system is one-size-fits-all. Teachers are forced to teach to the test and our schools are not equipped with support services to address the many issues that prevent children from learning.

In my view, the main reason we are falling short is that our education system is one-size-fits-all, which doesn't work in education. Students learn differently. Some flourish in large settings and others in small settings with more teacher attention.

Students have varied needs based on where they live. Do they live in a rural area, suburb or city? What is their economic status? Is their family living in poverty? How is their home life? Are they raised in a single parent household? What are their individual interests? Do they like art and music? Or are they more interested in science and technology?

A child who comes from an affluent home in the suburbs learns differently from a child living in poverty in a city. Both children can learn--if the right approach for each child is taken. We need to give States and local school districts more flexibility to do what is right for their students.

Teaching to the test is another problem that plagues our education system. When the emphasis is placed on memorization rather than comprehension, or answering essay questions with a formula rather than reasoning and critical thinking, students are not actively engaged in learning.

Students fail to gain the comprehension and critical thinking skills needed in college and to be successful in the workplace. That is a big reason why up to 60 percent of students who enroll in college need to take remedial English and math classes. Schools need to be places where children learn, not where children memorize.

A child's life outside of school has a tremendous effect on his or her ability to succeed in school. Does a child get enough to eat at home? Are a child's parents working multiple jobs to pay the bills? Is there violence in the home? Is a child homeless?

Our schools are not equipped with the support services they need, such as mental health professionals and basic health care services that help to address the issues that prevent children from learning.

The good news is that we have solutions to these problems. They are in place, and they need to be implemented on a larger scale.

During the 2013-2014 school year, California implemented its local control funding formula, which targets State funding for poor students, students of color, students with disabilities, foster youth, and English learners.

Under this new formula, local districts can use that funding to teach these students in the way that best works for them. It has made a difference. For example, San Diego Unified School District plans to reduce class sizes from a 25-to-1 to a 22-to-1 student teacher ratio in 29 of the most disadvantaged schools.

The district also plans to look at resource equity and provide expanded access to counseling services and additional services for English learners and students with disabilities.

We also need to expand charter schools and provide continued support to existing, high-quality charter schools. Charter schools tailor instruction to each student and are not bound by traditional school district requirements.

Every child deserves a quality education, and many children who struggle in underperforming schools go on to flourish in charter schools. Here are just a couple of examples from California:

Nolan from East Los Angeles was reading below grade level when he enrolled in a charter school. Within 6 months, he had advanced two grade levels.

Trina, a seventh grader in the Bay area, stated:

I think KIPP teachers are extremely important because they teach us everything we need to know to reach our goal of climbing the mountain to college. I can remember back to my very first day as a KIPPster. We learned that we would need to ``work hard'' and ``be nice.'' Working hard meant that in our English classes we would be reading and writing every day. When I came to KIPP, I found out that I was at a second grade reading level in the fifth grade! I was shocked, so I worked hard and got to the sixth grade reading level by the end of the year.

Parents desperately want opportunities for their children, and unfortunately the demand for charter schools remains much higher than the supply. Currently in California, approximately 150,000 students are on waiting lists. We need to continue to invest in the expansion and development of charter schools so more children receive the education they deserve now.

Providing support services to at-risk students has also proven to be successful. If students are less worried about

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meeting their basic needs and everything that goes on in their lives outside of school, they can learn.
The Monarch School for homeless students in San Diego is a great example of this. It provides food, clothing, counseling, health care, and transportation to its students. And more than 90 percent of graduates go to college or pursue vocational training. We need to fund these kinds of support services in schools where children need them the most. We know that they work.

Education remains the great equalizer in this country, but we have failed in giving all of our children access to the quality education they deserve. By directing extra resources where they are needed most and giving schools the ability to do what is right for their students, we can turn things around--for our children and our country.

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