The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STUDENT SUCCESS ACT” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H1266-H1285 on Feb. 26, 2015.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STUDENT SUCCESS ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 125 and rule XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of the bill, H.R. 5.
Will the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson) kindly take the chair.
{time} 1848
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5) to support State and local accountability for public education, protect State and local authority, inform parents of the performance of their children's schools, and for other purposes, with Mr. Simpson (Acting Chair) in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The Acting CHAIR. When the Committee of the Whole rose earlier today, amendment No. 14 printed in part B of House Report 114-29 offered by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley) had been disposed of.
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings will now resume on those amendments printed in part B of House Report 114-29 on which further proceedings were postponed, in the following order:
Amendment No. 1 by Mr. Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Amendment No. 2 by Mr. Grothman of Wisconsin.
Amendment No. 6 by Mr. Castro of Texas.
Amendment No. 9 by Mr. Quigley of Illinois.
Amendment No. 13 by Ms. Moore of Wisconsin.
The Chair will reduce to 2 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote after the first vote in this series.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Kennedy
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 204, noes 217, not voting 11, as follows:
AYES--204
AdamsAguilarAshfordBassBeattyBecerraBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBonamiciBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brown (FL)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCappsCapuanoCardenasCarneyCarson (IN)CartwrightCastor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)CleaverClyburnCohenConnollyConyersCooperCostaCostello (PA)CourtneyCrowleyCuellarCummingsCurbelo (FL)Davis (CA)Davis, DannyDavis, RodneyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBeneDentDeSaulnierDeutchDiaz-BalartDingellDoggettDoldDoyle, Michael F.DuckworthEdwardsEllisonEngelEshooEstyFarrFattahFitzpatrickFosterFrankel (FL)FudgeGabbardGallegoGaramendiGibsonGrahamGraysonGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGuintaGutierrezHahnHannaHastingsHeck (WA)Herrera BeutlerHigginsHimesHondaHoyerHuffmanIsraelJackson LeeJeffriesJohnson, E. B.JollyKapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKildeeKilmerKindKirkpatrickKnightKusterLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLevinLewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujan Grisham (NM)Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)LynchMaloney, CarolynMaloney, SeanMatsuiMcCollumMcDermottMcGovernMcNerneyMengMooreMoultonMurphy (FL)NadlerNapolitanoNealNolanNorcrossO'RourkePallonePascrellPaynePearcePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPingreePocanPolisPrice (NC)QuigleyRangelReichertRice (NY)RichmondRigellRos-LehtinenRoybal-AllardRoyceRuizRuppersbergerRushRyan (OH)Sanchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchockSchraderScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoShermanSinemaSiresSlaughterSmith (WA)StefanikSwalwell (CA)TakaiTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTonkoTorresTsongasUptonVan HollenVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWalzWasserman SchultzWatson ColemanWelchWilson (FL)YarmuthYoung (AK)
NOES--217
AbrahamAderholtAllenAmashAmodeiBabinBarlettaBarrBartonBenishekBilirakisBishop (MI)Bishop (UT)BlackBlackburnBlumBostBoustanyBrady (TX)BratBridenstineBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotChaffetzClawson (FL)CoffmanColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComstockConawayCookCramerCrawfordCrenshawCulbersonDenhamDeSantisDesJarlaisDuffyDuncan (SC)Duncan (TN)Ellmers (NC)Emmer (MN)FarentholdFincherFleischmannFlemingFloresForbesFortenberryFoxxFranks (AZ)FrelinghuysenGarrettGibbsGohmertGoodlatteGosarGowdyGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)GriffithGrothmanGuthrieHardyHarperHarrisHartzlerHeck (NV)HensarlingHice, Jody B.HillHoldingHudsonHuelskampHuizenga (MI)HultgrenHunterHurd (TX)IssaJenkins (KS)Jenkins (WV)Johnson (OH)Johnson, SamJonesJordanJoyceKelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)Kinzinger (IL)KlineLabradorLaMalfaLambornLance LattaLoudermilkLoveLucasLuetkemeyerLummisMacArthurMarchantMarinoMassieMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMcMorris RodgersMcSallyMeadowsMeehanMesserMicaMiller (FL)Miller (MI)MoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinMulvaneyMurphy (PA)NeugebauerNewhouseNoemNugentNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPaulsenPerryPittengerPittsPoe (TX)PoliquinPompeoPoseyPrice, TomRatcliffeReedRenacciRibbleRice (SC)RobyRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RohrabacherRokitaRooney (FL)RoskamRossRothfusRouzerRussellRyan (WI)SalmonSanfordScaliseSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerSessionsShimkusShusterSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)StewartStiversStutzmanThompson (PA)ThornberryTiberiTiptonTrottTurnerValadaoWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWestmorelandWhitfieldWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallYoderYohoYoung (IA)Young (IN)ZeldinZinke
NOT VOTING--11
ClayHinojosaHurt (VA)Johnson (GA)LeeLongMeeksRoe (TN)Sewell (AL)SpeierWaters, Maxine
{time} 1910
Messrs. SCHWEIKERT, DENHAM, DUNCAN of South Carolina, and SMITH of Nebraska changed their vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
Messrs. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania, RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, DIAZ-
BALART, DOLD, CURBELO of Florida, UPTON, Ms. TSONGAS, Messrs. CLYBURN, AL GREEN of Texas, ROYCE, Ms. STEFANIK, and Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER changed their vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 2 Offered by Mr. Grothman
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin
(Mr. Grothman) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 114, noes 311, not voting 7, as follows:
AYES--114
AmashAshfordBarrBeraBishop (UT)BlackburnBlumBonamiciBrady (TX)BratBridenstineBrooks (AL)Brownley (CA)BuckBurgessCapuanoCastro (TX)ChabotChaffetzClawson (FL)Collins (GA)CooperDeSantisDesJarlaisDoggettDuffyDuncan (SC)Duncan (TN)EngelFincherFlemingFloresFortenberryFranks (AZ)GarrettGibbsGibsonGohmertGosarGowdyGraves (GA)Graves (LA)GriffithGrothmanGuintaHarrisHerrera BeutlerHice, Jody B.HillHimesHoldingHudsonHuelskampHuffmanHuizenga (MI)HultgrenJackson LeeJenkins (KS)JollyJonesJordanKelly (PA)LabradorLanceLoudermilkLoveLujan Grisham (NM)MassieMcClintockMcHenryMeadowsMesserMicaMooney (WV)MullinMulvaneyNadlerNeugebauerNolanOlsonPalmerPascrellPerryPetersPoe (TX)PompeoPoseyPrice, TomRatcliffeRibbleRohrabacherRooney (FL)RossRothfusRouzerSalmonSanfordScaliseSchweikertScott (VA)Scott, AustinSensenbrennerSessionsSmith (NE)StewartStutzmanWeber (TX)WenstrupWestermanWittmanWoodallYoderYohoYoung (IA)
NOES--311
AbrahamAdamsAderholtAguilarAllenAmodeiBabinBarlettaBartonBassBeattyBecerraBenishekBeyerBilirakisBishop (GA)Bishop (MI)BlackBlumenauerBostBoustanyBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brooks (IN)Brown (FL)BuchananBucshonBustosButterfieldByrneCalvertCappsCardenasCarneyCarson (IN)Carter (GA)Carter (TX)CartwrightCastor (FL)Chu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCoffmanCohenColeCollins (NY)ComstockConawayConnollyConyersCookCostaCostello (PA)CourtneyCramerCrawfordCrenshawCrowleyCuellarCulbersonCummingsCurbelo (FL)Davis (CA)Davis, DannyDavis, RodneyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBeneDenhamDentDeSaulnierDeutchDiaz-BalartDingellDoldDoyle, Michael F.DuckworthEdwardsEllisonEllmers (NC)Emmer (MN)EshooEstyFarentholdFarrFattahFitzpatrickFleischmannForbesFosterFoxxFrankel (FL)FrelinghuysenFudgeGabbardGallegoGaramendiGoodlatteGrahamGrangerGraves (MO)GraysonGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGuthrieGutierrezHahnHannaHardyHarperHartzlerHastingsHeck (NV)Heck (WA)HensarlingHigginsHondaHoyerHunterHurd (TX)IsraelIssaJeffriesJenkins (WV)Johnson (GA)Johnson (OH)Johnson, E. B.Johnson, SamJoyceKapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKildeeKilmerKindKing (IA)King (NY)Kinzinger (IL)KirkpatrickKlineKnightKusterLaMalfaLambornLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LattaLawrenceLevinLewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLucasLuetkemeyerLujan, Ben Ray (NM)LummisLynchMacArthurMaloney, CarolynMaloney, SeanMarchantMarinoMatsuiMcCarthyMcCaulMcCollumMcDermottMcGovernMcKinleyMcMorris RodgersMcNerneyMcSallyMeehanMeeksMengMiller (FL)Miller (MI)MoolenaarMooreMoultonMurphy (FL)Murphy (PA)NapolitanoNealNewhouseNoemNorcrossNugentNunesO'RourkePalazzoPallonePaulsenPaynePearcePelosiPerlmutterPetersonPingreePittengerPittsPocanPoliquinPolisPrice (NC)QuigleyRangelReedReichertRenacciRice (NY)Rice (SC)RichmondRigellRobyRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RokitaRos-LehtinenRoskamRoybal-AllardRoyceRuizRuppersbergerRushRussellRyan (OH)Ryan (WI)Sanchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchockSchraderScott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShermanShimkusShusterSimpsonSinemaSiresSlaughterSmith (MO)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)Smith (WA)StefanikStiversSwalwell (CA)TakaiTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)Thompson (PA)ThornberryTiberiTiptonTitusTonkoTorresTrottTsongasTurnerUptonValadaoVan HollenVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWalzWasserman SchultzWatson ColemanWebster (FL)WelchWestmorelandWhitfieldWilliamsWilson (FL)Wilson (SC)WomackYarmuthYoung (AK)Young (IN)ZeldinZinke
NOT VOTING--7
HinojosaHurt (VA)LeeLongRoe (TN)SpeierWaters, Maxine
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.
{time} 1916
Mr. PAYNE changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
Mr. BARR changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
(By unanimous consent, Mr. McCarthy was allowed to speak out of order.)
Legislative Program
Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, Members are advised that the House is expected to complete its work for the week by tomorrow evening. Information on the legislation that will be considered and more detailed floor timing for tomorrow will be announced after the conclusion of the Rules Committee hearing tonight.
Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. McCARTHY. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
Mr. HOYER. What can we expect to be on the floor tomorrow, Mr. Leader?
Mr. McCARTHY. Well, Mr. Whip, I expect that we will deal with the current schedule that we have before us, plus dealing with DHS.
Mr. HOYER. Can the majority leader tell us, in light of fact that is less than 24 hours from now, what we might be considering with respect to keeping the Department of Homeland Security operating on a permanent basis through September 30?
Mr. McCARTHY. As the gentleman knows, we dealt with this weeks ago and sent it over to the Senate. And as I just listed before, we will provide that information after the Rules Committee hearing tonight.
Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. McCARTHY. Gladly.
Mr. HOYER. The Rules Committee is going to meet tonight at 9:30 tonight, is that the--8:00. Somebody said 8 o'clock over here--a member of the Rules Committee. Was it at 8:00 or at 9:30?
Mr. McCARTHY. I think it was--where is our Rules Committee chair? Eight o'clock.
Mr. HOYER. Eight o'clock. Will the gentleman yield again?
Mr. McCARTHY. Gladly.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Leader, we have been now--you are correct--6 weeks leaving the Department of Homeland Security twisting in the wind. We have done that as the gentleman knows----
Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I have been very clear about the schedule for tomorrow. We will end our work by tomorrow evening. This House has taken action to make sure that DHS is fully funded. We did our part.
I yield back.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman yields back.
Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Castro of Texas
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, 2-minute voting will continue.
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 182, noes 243, not voting 7, as follows:
AYES--182
AdamsAguilarAshfordBassBeattyBecerraBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBonamiciBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brown (FL)Brownley (CA)ButterfieldCappsCapuanoCardenasCarneyCarson (IN)CartwrightCastor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyConyersCostaCourtneyCrowleyCuellarCummingsDavis (CA)Davis, DannyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBeneDeSaulnierDeutchDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.DuckworthEdwardsEllisonEngelEshooEstyFarrFattahFosterFrankel (FL)FudgeGabbardGallegoGaramendiGrahamGraysonGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGutierrezHahnHastingsHeck (WA)HigginsHimesHondaHoyerHuffmanIsraelJackson LeeJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson, E. B.KapturKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKildeeKilmerKindKirkpatrickKusterLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujan Grisham (NM)Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)LynchMaloney, CarolynMaloney, SeanMatsuiMcCollumMcDermottMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMooreMoultonMurphy (FL)NadlerNapolitanoNealNolanNorcrossO'RourkePallonePascrellPaynePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPingreePocanPrice (NC)QuigleyRangelReichertRice (NY)RichmondRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyan (OH)Sanchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchraderScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShermanSinemaSiresSlaughterSmith (WA)Swalwell (CA)TakaiTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTonkoTorresTsongasVan HollenVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWalzWasserman SchultzWatson ColemanWelchWilson (FL)YarmuthYoho
NOES--243
AbrahamAderholtAllenAmashAmodeiBabinBarlettaBarrBartonBenishekBilirakisBishop (MI)Bishop (UT)BlackBlackburnBlumBostBoustanyBrady (TX)BratBridenstineBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBurgessBustosByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotChaffetzClawson (FL)CoffmanColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComstockConawayCookCooperCostello (PA)CramerCrawfordCrenshawCulbersonCurbelo (FL)Davis, RodneyDenhamDentDeSantisDesJarlaisDiaz-BalartDoldDuffyDuncan (SC)Duncan (TN)Ellmers (NC)Emmer (MN)FarentholdFincherFitzpatrickFleischmannFlemingFloresForbesFortenberryFoxxFranks (AZ)FrelinghuysenGarrettGibbsGibsonGohmertGoodlatteGosarGowdyGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)GriffithGrothmanGuintaGuthrieHannaHardyHarperHarrisHartzlerHeck (NV)HensarlingHerrera BeutlerHice, Jody B.HillHoldingHudsonHuelskampHuizenga (MI)HultgrenHunterHurd (TX)IssaJenkins (KS)Jenkins (WV)Johnson (OH)Johnson, SamJollyJonesJordanJoyceKatkoKelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)Kinzinger (IL)KlineKnightLabradorLaMalfaLambornLanceLattaLevinLoBiondoLoudermilkLoveLucasLuetkemeyerLummisMacArthurMarchantMarinoMassieMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMcMorris RodgersMcSallyMeadowsMeehanMesserMicaMiller (FL)Miller (MI)MoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinMulvaneyMurphy (PA)NeugebauerNewhouseNoemNugentNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPaulsenPearcePerryPittengerPittsPoe (TX)PoliquinPolisPompeoPoseyPrice, TomRatcliffeReedRenacciRibbleRice (SC)RigellRobyRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RohrabacherRokitaRooney (FL)Ros-LehtinenRoskamRossRothfusRouzerRoyceRussellRyan (WI)SalmonSanfordScaliseSchockSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerSessionsShimkusShusterSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)StefanikStewartStiversStutzmanThompson (PA)ThornberryTiberiTiptonTrottTurnerUptonValadaoWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWestmorelandWhitfieldWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallYoderYoung (AK)Young (IA)Young (IN)ZeldinZinke
NOT VOTING--7
HinojosaHurt (VA)LeeLongRoe (TN)SpeierWaters, Maxine
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There is 1 minute remaining.
{time} 1924
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Quigley
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Quigley) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 218, noes 201, not voting 13, as follows:
AYES--218
AdamsAguilarAshfordBarlettaBassBeattyBecerraBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBonamiciBostBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brown (FL)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCappsCapuanoCardenasCarneyCarson (IN)CartwrightCastor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyConyersCooperCostaCostello (PA)CourtneyCrowleyCuellarCummingsCurbelo (FL)Davis (CA)Davis, DannyDavis, RodneyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBene DenhamDentDeSaulnierDeutchDiaz-BalartDingellDoggettDoldDoyle, Michael F.DuckworthEdwardsEllisonEngelEshooEstyFarrFattahFitzpatrickFosterFrankel (FL)FudgeGabbardGallegoGaramendiGibsonGrahamGraves (MO)GraysonGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGutierrezHahnHannaHastingsHeck (WA)Herrera BeutlerHigginsHimesHondaHoyerHuffmanIsraelJackson LeeJeffriesJenkins (WV)Johnson (GA)Johnson, E. B.JollyKapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKildeeKilmerKindKinzinger (IL)KirkpatrickKusterLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLevinLewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoBiondoLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujan Grisham (NM)Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)LynchMaloney, CarolynMaloney, SeanMatsuiMcCollumMcDermottMcGovernMcKinleyMcNerneyMeehanMeeksMooney (WV)MooreMoultonMurphy (FL)Murphy (PA)NadlerNapolitanoNealNolanNorcrossO'RourkePallonePascrellPaynePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPingreePocanPolisPrice (NC)QuigleyRangelRenacciRibbleRice (NY)RichmondRos-LehtinenRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyan (OH)Sanchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchockSchraderScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShermanSimpsonSinemaSiresSlaughterSmith (NJ)Smith (WA)StefanikSwalwell (CA)TakaiTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)Thompson (PA)TitusTonkoTorresTsongasUptonValadaoVan HollenVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWaldenWalzWasserman SchultzWatson ColemanWelchWhitfieldWilson (FL)Yarmuth
NOES--201
AbrahamAderholtAllenAmashAmodeiBabinBarrBartonBenishekBilirakisBishop (MI)Bishop (UT)BlackBlackburnBoustanyBrady (TX)BratBridenstineBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotChaffetzClawson (FL)CoffmanColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComstockConawayCookCramerCrawfordCrenshawCulbersonDeSantisDesJarlaisDuffyDuncan (SC)Duncan (TN)Ellmers (NC)Emmer (MN)FarentholdFincherFleischmannFlemingFloresForbesFortenberryFoxxFranks (AZ)FrelinghuysenGarrettGibbsGohmertGoodlatteGosarGowdyGrangerGraves (GA)Graves (LA)GriffithGrothmanGuintaGuthrieHardyHarperHarrisHartzlerHeck (NV)HensarlingHice, Jody B.HillHoldingHudsonHuelskampHuizenga (MI)HultgrenHunterHurd (TX)IssaJenkins (KS)Johnson (OH)Johnson, SamJonesJordanJoyceKelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)KlineKnightLabradorLaMalfaLambornLanceLattaLoudermilkLoveLucasLuetkemeyerLummisMacArthurMarchantMarinoMassieMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcMorris RodgersMcSallyMeadowsMesserMicaMiller (FL)Miller (MI)MoolenaarMulvaneyNeugebauerNewhouseNoemNugentNunesOlsonPalazzoPaulsenPearcePerryPittengerPittsPoe (TX)PompeoPoseyPrice, TomRatcliffeReedReichertRice (SC)RigellRobyRogers (AL)Rogers (KY)RohrabacherRokitaRooney (FL)RoskamRossRothfusRouzerRoyceRussellRyan (WI)SalmonSanfordScaliseSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerSessionsShimkusShusterSmith (MO)Smith (TX)StewartStiversStutzmanThornberryTiberiTiptonTrottTurnerWagnerWalbergWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWestmorelandWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallYoderYohoYoung (AK)Young (IA)Young (IN)ZeldinZinke
NOT VOTING--13
BlumHinojosaHurt (VA)LeeLongMengMullinPalmerPoliquinRoe (TN)Smith (NE)SpeierWaters, Maxine
{time} 1928
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 13 Offered by Ms. Moore
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This will be a 2-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 185, noes 239, not voting 8, as follows:
AYES--185
AdamsAguilarAshfordBassBeattyBecerraBeraBeyerBishop (GA)BlumenauerBonamiciBoyle, Brendan F.Brady (PA)Brown (FL)Brownley (CA)BustosButterfieldCappsCapuanoCardenasCarneyCarson (IN)CartwrightCastor (FL)Castro (TX)Chu, JudyCicillineClark (MA)Clarke (NY)ClayCleaverClyburnCohenConnollyConyersCooperCostaCourtneyCrowleyCuellarCummingsDavis (CA)Davis, DannyDeFazioDeGetteDelaneyDeLauroDelBeneDeSaulnierDeutchDingellDoggettDoyle, Michael F.DuckworthEdwardsEllisonEngelEshooEstyFarrFattahFosterFrankel (FL)FudgeGabbardGallegoGaramendiGibsonGrahamGreen, AlGreen, GeneGrijalvaGutierrezHahnHastingsHeck (WA)HigginsHimesHondaHoyerHuffmanIsraelJackson LeeJeffriesJohnson (GA)Johnson, E. B.KapturKatkoKeatingKelly (IL)KennedyKildeeKilmerKindKirkpatrickKusterLangevinLarsen (WA)Larson (CT)LawrenceLevinLewisLieu, TedLipinskiLoebsackLofgrenLowenthalLoweyLujan Grisham (NM)Lujan, Ben Ray (NM)LynchMaloney, CarolynMaloney, SeanMatsuiMcCollumMcDermottMcGovernMcNerneyMeeksMengMooreMoultonMurphy (FL)NadlerNapolitanoNealNolanNorcrossO'RourkePallonePascrellPaynePelosiPerlmutterPetersPetersonPingreePocanPolisPrice (NC)QuigleyRangelRice (NY)RichmondRoybal-AllardRuizRuppersbergerRushRyan (OH)Sanchez, Linda T.Sanchez, LorettaSarbanesSchakowskySchiffSchraderScott (VA)Scott, DavidSerranoSewell (AL)ShermanSinemaSiresSlaughterSmith (WA)Swalwell (CA)TakaiTakanoThompson (CA)Thompson (MS)TitusTonkoTorresTsongasVan HollenVargasVeaseyVelaVelazquezViscloskyWalzWasserman SchultzWatson ColemanWelchWilson (FL)Yarmuth
NOES--239
AbrahamAderholtAllenAmashAmodeiBabinBarlettaBarrBartonBenishekBilirakisBishop (MI)Bishop (UT)BlackBlackburnBlumBostBoustanyBrady (TX)BratBridenstineBrooks (AL)Brooks (IN)BuchananBuckBucshonBurgessByrneCalvertCarter (GA)Carter (TX)ChabotChaffetzClawson (FL)CoffmanColeCollins (GA)Collins (NY)ComstockConawayCookCostello (PA)CramerCrawfordCrenshawCulbersonCurbelo (FL)Davis, RodneyDenhamDentDeSantisDesJarlaisDiaz-BalartDoldDuffyDuncan (SC)Duncan (TN)Ellmers (NC)Emmer (MN)FarentholdFincherFitzpatrickFleischmannFlemingFloresForbesFortenberryFoxxFranks (AZ)FrelinghuysenGarrettGibbsGohmertGoodlatteGosarGowdyGraves (GA)Graves (LA)Graves (MO)GraysonGriffithGrothmanGuintaGuthrieHannaHardyHarperHarrisHartzlerHeck (NV)HensarlingHerrera BeutlerHice, Jody B.HillHoldingHudsonHuelskampHuizenga (MI)HultgrenHunterHurd (TX)IssaJenkins (KS)Jenkins (WV)Johnson (OH)Johnson, SamJollyJonesJordanJoyceKelly (PA)King (IA)King (NY)Kinzinger (IL)KlineKnightLabradorLaMalfaLambornLanceLattaLoBiondoLoudermilkLoveLucasLuetkemeyerLummisMacArthurMarchantMarinoMassieMcCarthyMcCaulMcClintockMcHenryMcKinleyMcMorris RodgersMcSallyMeadowsMeehanMesserMicaMiller (FL)Miller (MI)MoolenaarMooney (WV)MullinMulvaneyMurphy (PA)NeugebauerNewhouseNoemNugentNunesOlsonPalazzoPalmerPaulsenPearcePerryPittengerPittsPoe (TX)PoliquinPompeoPoseyPrice, TomRatcliffeReedReichertRenacciRibbleRice (SC)RigellRobyRogers (AL) Rogers (KY)RohrabacherRokitaRooney (FL)Ros-LehtinenRoskamRossRothfusRouzerRoyceRussellRyan (WI)SalmonSanfordScaliseSchockSchweikertScott, AustinSensenbrennerSessionsShimkusShusterSimpsonSmith (MO)Smith (NE)Smith (NJ)Smith (TX)StefanikStewartStiversStutzmanThompson (PA)ThornberryTiberiTiptonTrottTurnerUptonValadaoWagnerWalbergWaldenWalkerWalorskiWalters, MimiWeber (TX)Webster (FL)WenstrupWestermanWestmorelandWhitfieldWilliamsWilson (SC)WittmanWomackWoodallYoderYohoYoung (AK)Young (IA)Young (IN)ZeldinZinke
NOT VOTING--8
GrangerHinojosaHurt (VA)LeeLongRoe (TN)SpeierWaters, Maxine
{time} 1933
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Delaney
The Acting CHAIR (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen). It is now in order to consider amendment No. 15 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. DELANEY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 235, line 4, strike ``and'' at the end.
Page 235, line 9, strike the period at the end and insert
``; and''.
Page 235, after line 9, insert the following:
``(F) Support State or local pay for success initiatives that meet the purposes of this part.''.
Page 241, line 4, strike ``or'' at the end.
Page 241, line 7, strike the period at the end and insert
``; or''.
Page 241, after line 7, insert the following:
``(10) carrying out activities related to pay for success initiatives that meet the purposes of this part.''.
Page 250, after line 20, insert the following:
``(ix) Supporting State or local pay for success initiatives that meet the purposes of this part.''.
Page 257, line 25, strike ``and'' at the end.
Page 258, line 3, strike the period at the end and insert
``; and''.
Page 258, after line 3, insert the following:
``(I) carrying out activities related to pay for success initiatives that meet the purposes of this part.''.
Page 508, after line 17, insert the following (and redesignate the succeeding provisions accordingly):
``(34) Pay for success initiatives.--The term `pay for success initiatives' means initiatives--
``(A) that produce a measurable, clearly defined outcome that results in social benefit and direct cost savings to the local, State, or Federal Government;
``(B) except as provided in subparagraph (D)(i), that make payments only when agreed-upon outcomes are achieved;
``(C) for which a feasibility study is conducted on the initiative describing how the proposed intervention is based on strong or moderate evidence of effectiveness and how the initiative will meet the requirements of subparagraph (A); and
``(D) for which--
``(i) an evaluation, which may be paid for out of funding for the pay for success initiative without respect to a successful outcome, is included that uses experimental designs using random assignment or other research methodologies that allow for the strongest possible causal inferences when random assignment is not feasible by an independent evaluator to determine whether the initiative has met the outcomes described in subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) the State or local educational agency produces an annual, publicly available report on the progress of the initiative in meeting the requirements of subparagraph (A), as appropriate.''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Delaney) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
Mr. DELANEY. Madam Chair, I yield myself 3 minutes.
I want to start by thanking Congressman Young, Congressman Polis, Chairman Kline, and Ranking Member Scott for their support of this bipartisan amendment. I know my colleagues join me, Madam Chair, in the view that whenever the government, the private sector, and the not-for-
profit community work well together, we get better outcomes for all of our citizens, which is exactly what the Pay for Success framework is designed to do. It allows local governments to innovate and address best practices and be fiscally responsible with respect to the provision of government services.
This amendment, Madam Chair, is designed specifically to allow the funds that are allocated in the underlying bill for teacher training and retention to utilize Pay for Success frameworks against those programs.
Teacher turnover is a big issue in the United States. It is estimated to cost our educational system $1- to $2 billion. In my own State of Maryland, it is estimated to cost up to $45 million. It is very important that we make a difference against this problem. We want to make sure that educational agencies have as many tools available at their disposal as possible to work against this problem, including Pay for Success approaches and frameworks.
Madam Chair, I want to thank my colleagues for their support of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Chair, I claim time in opposition, although I am supportive of the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Chair, I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland for his hard work on this important amendment and for his leadership. Currently, teacher attrition costs the United States over
$1 billion each year. Many teachers leave within the first 5 years because of a lack of effective mentoring, training, and support. Providing these teachers with effective, evidence-based training through a Pay for Success model will not only save the government money, it will also help to retain top talent in the classroom.
Madam Chair, this amendment would do just that. It would give States and local school districts the ability to participate in this innovative new financing model in order to retain our best teachers.
Now, Pay for Success projects, also known as social impact bonds or social impact partnerships, are public-private partnerships that harness philanthropic and other private sector investments to scale up scientifically proven social and educational programs. Because these projects are focused on results, government money is only paid out to private sector investors when desired outcomes are met and only in accordance with the value assigned to those successful outcomes. This social impact financing model has the potential to fundamentally transform our Nation's education programs, shifting the focus of such programs from inputs to outcomes.
I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland, the gentleman from Colorado, and others for their leadership on this issue. I also want to thank my fellow colleague from Indiana for his overall leadership on this educational bill. I look forward to our continued cooperation on these efforts. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DELANEY. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), my friend.
Mr. POLIS. Madam Chairman, I want to thank my colleagues from Maryland and from Indiana for bringing this amendment forth. I am honored to be a cosponsor of this amendment.
Social impact bonds essentially allow a way in which we can leverage philanthropic dollars to meet a socially desirable outcome. It is only paid back if that outcome is reached. What this can apply to teacher development and teacher training is a type of market discipline--to fund what works, to leverage our limited resources through a Pay for Success mechanism to ensure that we are getting what we paid for.
This is important to educators who deserve the very best in professional development. It is important for students to make sure that they benefit from the limited professional development dollars that we have. It is also important for the philanthropic community and for government investment because we want to make sure our dollars are deployed as positively as possible.
Some of these metrics can include: Does the professional development lead the recipient to help improve student achievement? That is one of the ultimate benchmarks of whether professional development and teacher training work. By tying and aligning our limited resources for outcomes for supporting teachers through a Pay for Success initiative, we can make sure that our limited investment has a maximum positive benefit.
Madam Chairman, I strongly urge my colleagues to adopt this strong amendment.
Mr. DELANEY. Madam Chair, I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado for his support of the amendment.
I yield 1 minute to my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
This amendment will make evidence-based prevention approaches a reality. We all know that many evidence-based approaches save more money than they cost. This will allow the private sector to make those investments and prove that we are right. So I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland for introducing the amendment and thank him and the gentleman from Indiana for their leadership.
This is a great amendment, Madam Chair. I trust it will be adopted, and we will be able to make great progress in education and other social services.
Mr. DELANEY. Madam Chair, again, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I thank my colleagues for supporting it here on the floor. As I said in the beginning, whenever the government, the private sector, and the nonprofit community work together, we get better outcomes for our citizens.
Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the State of Washington (Mrs. McMorris Rodgers), my hardworking colleague.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the amendment, and I rise to support strong, conservative legislation that provides equal opportunity and education for everyone in this country, no matter their walk of life, how much money they may have, or what challenges they face. The Student Success Act improves, strengthens, and modernizes our classrooms to give all of our students the opportunity to reach their full potential.
As the mom of a 7-year-old son, Cole, who has special needs, I know firsthand that everyone has different needs in the classroom. Every student's path to learning is both unique and equally important. So I am proud to advance legislation that recognizes that.
It all starts by innovating and empowering America's students. That is why I have championed the 21st Century Classroom Innovation Act, included in today's legislation, and together we will ensure that that technology will be fully incorporated into our classrooms to enhance personalized learning for our students. By blending traditional learning programs with high tech tools, we will take our classrooms and our students to the 21st century.
But the foundation of real, educational reform goes beyond technological advancements and begins with an unequivocal recognition that our students may have different needs, but they should all have an equal opportunity--an equal opportunity to learn, an equal opportunity to graduate, and an equal opportunity for a diploma.
{time} 1945
That is why I have championed several important provisions in the Student Success Act that address these needs.
First, when a State establishes guidelines for individualized alternative testing, they will do so on a subject-by-subject basis. Parents must be clearly informed when they move their children in alternative testing, so they will fully understand the implications of making those decisions for their kids.
Right now, far too many parents with children with disabilities aren't told when their kids are moved into alternative testing. This legislation changes that.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.
Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. It ensures that students with disabilities who have taken alternative assessments cannot be prevented from receiving a regular diploma.
These provisions will enhance data transparency, improve communication between parents and teachers, and give everyone an equal opportunity to receive a diploma. It ensures that when my son Cole and millions like him walk into a classroom, they will be defined by their abilities, not their disabilities.
At its very core, this legislation changes the way we think about and educate those with disabilities. That is how we achieve real 21st century education reform.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), my colleague.
Mr. ROKITA. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Indiana, my good friend, for his leadership on this issue and the gentleman on the other side of the aisle. I appreciate it very much.
I rise in strong support of this amendment. I think it is a great example of the kind of use that we intended with this language to begin with.
The Federal Government spends tens of billions of dollars on education annually. If you ask the average Hoosier or any American, they think Washington does a pretty poor job of spending those dollars efficiently, as was just demonstrated.
Instead of business as usual, we should look for new and innovative ways to achieve results, which is exactly the concept behind the gentleman's Pay for Success initiatives. These initiatives provide flexibility for the public and private sectors to partner together around common goals. This model ensures value for taxpayer dollars.
As a cosponsor of the underlying bill, along with Chairman Kline and certain members of the Education and the Workforce Committee, we would urge all our colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to support this amendment.
Mr. YOUNG of Indiana. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Delaney).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. Jeffries
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 16 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 240, line 14, strike ``technology,'' and insert
``technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy),''.
Page 338, line 5, strike ``technology,'' and insert
``technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy),''.
Page 355, line 4, strike ``technology,'' and insert
``technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy),''.
Page 511, line 6, strike ``technology,'' and insert
``technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy),''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, I rise today in support of a modest change to H.R. 5 that would amend relevant portions of the Student Success Act related to technology to include education about the harms of copyright piracy.
This amendment is designed to encourage local educational agencies, teachers, educational staff, and parents to discuss the harms of copyright piracy, as well as the use of technology in a responsible fashion.
In the absence of classroom instruction about the importance of intellectual property, as well as the harms of copyright piracy at the elementary and secondary school level, young people are often unaware of the boundaries established in law to prevent the illegal infringement of copyrighted content.
Research suggests that in order to uphold the societal value of respect for intellectual property, individuals must learn or be introduced to this principle at an early age. This mission, of course, is anchored in the United States constitutional charge to Congress to protect intellectual property.
Article I, section 8, clause 8 of the United States Constitution says:
The Congress shall have power to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.
We have an article I responsibility as Members of Congress to insure that creators and innovators are not robbed of the fruits of their labor. Technology, of course, is a wonderful thing, and it is the way of the future.
It is an important tool, and we must ensure that our students are using it in a safe and responsible fashion or, certainly, at least, provide our local educational stakeholders the opportunity to disseminate information in a manner that they see fit.
In the classroom, children are currently taught that plagiarism is an ethical violation of academic honesty. This amendment will hopefully facilitate the extension of this discussion into the digital era.
To that end, we must help our local schools and parents be given the tools necessary to proactively educate, to the extent that they see fit, information about the unforeseen impact on copyright piracy, the importance of intellectual property, and its connection, of course, to the American economy.
A variety of bipartisan stakeholders support this amendment, including the educational organizations such as CreativeFuture, as well as the Copyright Alliance, the Recording Industry Association of America, the National Music Publishers' Association, the Songwriters Guild of America, the Authors Guild, The Association of American Publishers, as well as The Recording Academy.
Intellectual property protection is a foundation of the American economy. Our continued prosperity, at least in part, depends on protecting the innovation and the creative output of artists, musicians, scientists, and engineers and insuring that the next generation of creators could flourish as well.
Thus, it is important to recognize the vital role that education can play in helping the future leaders of America understand the value of the American creative community and protect the significant sector for future generations.
For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this modest amendment.
Madam Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Chair, copyright law is a complicated field, and any guidance we can give teachers and parents in how to avoid copyright infringement and refrain from unintentional or intentional piracy would be worthwhile.
I support the gentleman's amendment.
Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, even though I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Colorado is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. POLIS. Madam Chair, I don't intend to use the whole time.
I just wanted to add my praise to Mr. Jeffries' work. I think it also represents a good starting point. I certainly support this amendment.
There are a number of issues around technology that are important to incorporate in professional development. Some of them have to do with the legal framework, like copyright. I would add to that illegal hacking or accessing of sites. I would add to that trademark piracy, in addition to copyright piracy.
Some of them have to do with potential dangers to students, like cyber bullying, privacy, and knowledge about how students don't put their personal information online or how it could make them subject to a crime.
Along with, of course, copyright piracy, particularly in the academic context, it is important that teachers, parents, and educational professionals receive education on the fair use in the academic context, a very important piece of when you are researching document citations where the line is between plagiarism and a proper citation, where the line is between fair use in a noncommercial academic context and illegal commercial or personal use of a copyrighted product.
I think this represents a good starting point. I look forward to working with the gentleman from New York on this issue as it moves forward, and I support the amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 17 Offered by Ms. Clark of Massachusetts
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 17 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 240, line 15, strike ``or'' at the end.
Page 240, insert the following after line 20:
``(I) professional development for teachers, principals and other school administrators in early elementary grades that includes specialized knowledge about child development and learning, developmentally-appropriate curricula and teaching practices, meaningful family engagement and collaboration with early care and education programs;
``(J) professional development, including through joint professional development opportunities, for early childhood educators, teachers, principals, specialized instructional support personnel, and other school leaders; or
``(K) training on child development, improving instruction, and closing achievement gaps;''
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Massachusetts.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Chair, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Madam Chair, in addition to achieving outstanding results for individual children, high-quality early childhood education and care is as close to a silver bullet as we are going to find to solve our economic challenges.
Young children's brains develop at an astonishing pace. Children's first learning experiences during these years are critical to their visual, language, and social emotional development. Skills developed at this stage are the foundation of language and reading proficiency, the key indicators for academic and economic success later in life.
America's early childhood teachers will provide our children their first informative experiences and are, therefore, a critical influence on our Nation's future economy. An important stepping stone to the middle class is not just access to early learning, but access to high-
quality learning.
Parents should be able to go to work and have confidence that their kids are receiving high-quality learning experiences. This confidence, in turn, enhances parents' ability to work and reach their own economic potential.
For this reason, I am offering a commonsense amendment. This amendment simply clarifies that professional development for early grade teachers is an acceptable use of funding under this bill.
Local school systems should have the flexibility to use title II funds, the existing funds that are already targeted to support teachers, principals, and school leaders on professional development that directly benefits our youngest learners. It is important to note that this amendment does not require them to do so; rather, it simply allows them.
This no-cost amendment is supported by a range of early childhood advocates, including the Center for Law and Social Policy and Zero to Three. High-quality early childhood education for our youngest learners is a goal that cuts across party lines and enjoys broad support from the American public.
It is a win-win. I hope my colleagues in both parties will support this amendment.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Hultgren). Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for this amendment.
Early childhood care and education, as we all can appreciate, is critical to both children and working parents. This amendment would allow schools and Head Start centers, if they so choose, Mr. Chairman, as the gentlewoman described, would allow them, if they so choose, to coordinate and provide important services to low-
income children.
It will also ensure parents have a clear understanding of the services being offered. I think this amendment is a step forward for the existing partnerships between the Head Start program and local education agencies.
Like the amendment that was discussed before, I think this amendment is deserving of our support on both sides of the aisle.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 2000
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Representative Clark for yielding and for offering this important amendment.
High-quality early childhood education sets up students for success throughout their lives and is a critical component of any education system. We should be doing all we can to support early childhood educators, to help engage families in early education, and to take steps to close the achievement gap before it opens.
This amendment is an important step to building a strong foundation for our country's students. I urge my colleagues to support Representative Clark's amendment.
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 18 Offered by Mr. Cohen
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 18 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I offer amendment 18.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 240, line 15, strike ``or'' at the end.
Page 240, line 20, add ``or'' at the end.
Page 240, insert the following after line 20:
``(I) professional development on restorative justice and conflict resolution;''
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, to add a section on restorative justice and conflict resolution, allowing States to award grants for professional development in those areas.
This amendment allows more flexibility to States by expanding the types of training that can be paid by title II funds, which would be used to make sure teachers and administrators have sufficient training opportunities. The amendment doesn't add any cost to the bill.
Numerous studies have shown that once students enter the juvenile justice system, they are more likely to be arrested as adults. Rather than feeding the school-to-prison pipeline, this amendment offers a means to train teachers and administrators on how to address disciplinary problems by means other than simply suspending or expelling students. When students are away from the classroom because of suspensions or expulsions, they are more likely to get in trouble with law enforcement.
Many LEAs have moved away from zero tolerance policies because students were being suspended or expelled from the classroom for relatively minor behavior. An example was a student who used his hand to simulate a gun and was suspended and another situation where a child brought a Nerf-style gun to school and was reported to the police. These types of incidents hurt the students, cost society more money in the long run, and cost us human beings.
This amendment would help by providing a means to fund the training necessary to establish disciplinary policies and procedures that don't treat each infraction the same, often with excessive punishment. Restorative justice and conflict resolution programs work to address the cause of disciplinary problems and repair any harm that has been done. Evidence suggests those restorative justice programs work, and they save money in the long run because incarcerating youth is expensive. A report released by the Justice Policy Institute in 2014 showed incarcerating a child can exceed $400 a day--or nearly $150,000 a year.
Many of our Nation's most vulnerable youth are swept into the justice system as a result of the current overreliance on policing in our schools. This needs to stop. From Pennsylvania to California, schools have been seeing reductions in disciplinary infractions and suspensions because of the program's usage, and it has been used in many communities around the country but needs to be used in more.
There are many organizations that support, in this country, restorative justice and this amendment. The NEA, the AFT, the Peace Alliance, National Association of Community and Restorative Justice, Dignity in Schools, and the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution have all written in support of this amendment.
If this amendment becomes law, teachers and school administrators have the opportunity and resources to address disciplinary problems in ways other than suspension, expulsion, or involving law enforcement. More flexibility will go to LEAs and save money in the long term. CBO has said the amendment does not add cost.
I appreciate the opportunity to present this amendment, which will help numerous students stay on the path to graduation and a crime-free life. I ask my fellow Members to support it.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Tennessee, for this amendment.
This amendment will allow teachers and other school professionals, if they so choose, at the State and local level--and that is the key here throughout our bill--to receive training and to better address problems that may arise at their schools. I agree, conflict resolution is an important tool to help keep students and faculty safe and focused on education rather than the problems.
This is a good amendment, as it improves the underlying bill, and I thank the gentleman again for offering it. I urge my colleagues to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COHEN. I want to thank my friend from the Hoosier State for working with me on this.
I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) to address his support.
Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. Chairman, I am very proud that my home county of Boulder County is one of four judicial districts in the State of Colorado to have a pilot program for restorative justice. Boulder, Weld, Pueblo, and Alamosa Counties are recipients of the pilot program, and it really is a tremendous opportunity to use restorative justice in the juvenile delinquency context.
As you know, the goal of restorative justice is for the young people to figure out how they can make up for their crimes directly to the people affected rather than just have a fine that is placed on them. Our district attorney, Stan Garnett, believes that 60 to 70 percent of juvenile crime will be able to be dealt with through restorative justice in Boulder County.
What this amendment would allow for Mr. Cohen is a more meaningful partnership with the school district to this effect. The current funds for the pilot program come through the justice system. If funds are available to train educators with regard to restorative justice, a more meaningful and integrated partnership with the school district and the DA's office and the sheriff's department can be reached to make restorative justice even more successful, both in Boulder County, Colorado, as well as the rest of the country.
I strongly support the amendment.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chairman, in the process of thanking Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott and the Committee on Education and the Workforce and Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Slaughter and the rest of the Committee on Rules, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the ranking member.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for this great amendment. I know, working with him on the Committee on the Judiciary for many years, that he is a strong supporter of crime prevention initiatives; and restorative justice and conflict resolution programs have been shown to reduce crime time and time again, and so these concepts are appropriate in our schools. They will help create safe learning environments. I am delighted to support it.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 19 Offered by Ms. Wilson of Florida
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 19 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Chair, as the designee of Mr. Duffy, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 268, line 9, before the period insert ``any assessments mandated by the State educational agency or local educational agency for the student for that school year, and any local educational agency policy regarding student participation in such assessments''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wilson) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, this amendment requires school districts to be transparent in providing information to parents at the beginning of the school year on mandated assessments the students will have to take during the school year and any school district policy on assessment participation.
As a former teacher and elementary school principal, I have seen firsthand the damage caused by the pervasive overuse of high-stakes standardized testing. For the sake of our students and our education system, we need to move towards a more balanced form of assessment that effectively measures diverse kinds of success in teaching and student learning. Unfortunately, H.R. 5 fails to address schools' excessive dependence on deeply problematic standardized tests.
As someone who has dedicated decades of my career and my life to my students and their success, I can tell you that teachers do not join the profession to teach to the test; yet more and more educators are forced to spend time preparing students for tests, administering tests, and reviewing the results of those tests. By some estimates, almost one-third of a teacher's time is spent preparing students to take standardized tests. This is unacceptable. That is why this amendment is so important.
By providing parents with information about the standardized tests their students will be taking and providing them with the policies regarding student participation, we begin to hold the system accountable for the dramatic overuse of these tests.
It is time to end this practice of toxic overtesting. That is why I support this amendment and ask all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. I thank my colleagues, Ms. Wilson and Mr. Duffy, for this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, it looks like this amendment promotes transparency for parents and students, and that is a great thing, and that is one of the chief purposes of our bill. We have all heard the concerns about testing from our constituents, neighbors, and colleagues alike. One way to address that is to ensure parents are aware of what tests their children will have to take. This narrowly tailored amendment ensures parents have that ability to request this information from their children's school.
This is a good amendment, as it improves the underlying bill, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wilson).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Polis
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 20 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment as the designee of Mr. Messer and a cosponsor.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 270, line 6, amend the section header for section 3101 so that it reads ``sense of congress; purpose''.
Page 270, after line 6, insert the following:
``(a) Sense of Congress.--
``(1) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
``(A) The number of public charter schools has dramatically increased in recent years. Between the 2008-2009 school year and the 2013-2014 school year, there was a 77 percent increase in the number of students attending public charter schools and a 39 percent increase in the number of schools.
``(B) Charter schools serve a very diverse population of students. Nationally, 57 percent of students enrolled in charter schools are minority students, while only 39 percent of students in non-charter public schools are minority students.
``(C) For the 2014-2015 school year, there are more than 6700 public charter schools serving about 2.9 million students. This represents a 4 percent growth in the number of open charter schools, and a 14 percent increase in student enrollment from the 2013-2014 school year.
``(D) There are more than one million student names on charter school waiting lists.
``(E) Charter schools are open in areas where students need better education options, including areas that serve economically disadvantaged kids. Almost 50 percent of the students attending charter schools qualify for free or reduced priced lunch, a slightly larger percentage than non-charter public schools.
``(F) Charter schools serve students in all areas, from urban cities to rural towns through traditional brick and mortar schools, blended learning models, and online programs, giving parents across the Nation options to find the best learning environment for their children.
``(G) Charter schools give parents the opportunity to find the right place for their child to learn. Whether they are looking for digital learning, Montessori, or a more structured environment, charter schools provide a variety of education options for families.
``(H) Charter schools have strong accountability to parents and the community because they have to meet the same State academic accountability requirements as all other public schools, satisfy the terms of their charter with their authorizing authority, and satisfy parents who have selected the school for their children.
``(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that charter schools are a critical part of our education system in this Nation and the Congress believes we must support opening more quality charter schools to help students succeed in their future.
Page 270, line 7, strike ``It'' and insert the following:
``(b) Purpose.--It
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, over 40 States now allow for public charter schools, Washington State being the newest. Like other kinds of public schools, we find across the country high-quality public charter schools as well as poorly performing public charter schools.
Charter schools are not an answer; they are not a problem. They are an opportunity; they are a way that there can be more flexibility at the site level. Some have extended schooldays; some have a differentiated curriculum than the district; some partner very closely with community nonprofits to provide wraparound services.
Before I came to Congress, Mr. Chairman, I had the opportunity to found two charter schools, and I served as superintendent of one. The New America School, which now has five campuses in New Mexico and Colorado, works with new immigrants and English language learners to help them gain proficiency in reading and writing English and getting a high school-level diploma.
Many of the students that we recruited to attend our school were not in school before; they worked odd jobs. We had a flexible schedule day or night. We had to provide day care because just under half of our young women who attend that school have children themselves.
I also had the opportunity to be a cofounder of the Academy of Urban Learning, which works with homeless youth and youth in transitional housing in Denver, Colorado.
What this sense of Congress does is it simply supports the public charter school movement, which has long had near universal bipartisan support, and it calls upon and supports more quality public charter schools. I want to separate this from, of course, some of the issues that my colleagues perhaps on both sides of the aisle have with particular low-quality schools, whether they are charter schools or neighborhood schools or something in between, like innovation schools, which Colorado allows.
If the school is poor quality, hopefully it is a school that not only the Member of Congress who represents that district has a problem with, but hopefully the school board and the superintendent also want to take the steps necessary to improve the quality of that public school.
{time} 2015
To the extent that we have methodologies and models for successful public charter schools, we need more of them just as we need more high-
quality neighborhood schools and just as we need more high-quality magnet schools. I hope that this can be incorporated as a sense of Congress.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, but I do not oppose the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. I thank my colleagues Mr. Polis and Mr. Messer for continuing to raise this issue. I am in complete agreement with it as are certain Members and a good deal of the committee--really, of this Chamber as a whole.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment highlights the important role charter schools play in our education system. Parents are clamoring for more options for their children, and charter schools help fit that need.
I visit charter schools all over Indiana and more and more throughout the Nation. It is clear that, while charter schools might not be the answer for everyone--that is, some parents love their traditional public schools, some want to have their children homeschooled, and others believe a private school is the right choice--the key here is choice.
Many parents would not have an option at all without charter schools, as the gentleman describes. Charter schools are a great thing, and I appreciate this amendment's adding a sense of Congress on the importance of charter schools.
Again, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment. I think it is a great amendment, and I encourage my colleagues to support it and the underlying bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, to address the issue of accountability within charter schools, charter schools are subject to the same accountability laws as other public schools, both at the Federal level through No Child Left Behind and, indeed, in the successor bill.
All of the same accountability and metrics are applied to public charter schools as they are to magnet schools, to neighborhood schools, and to other district schools of choice.
In addition, charter schools have a strong accountability to parents in the community because, in addition to meeting those State and Federal academic requirements, they have to earn the enrollment of their students.
Unlike a neighborhood school, they start with zero students, and without the confidence of the community and without the confidence of the parents who choose to entrust that particular public school with the education of their kids, they will not succeed.
I am glad that our Congress can come together around important innovation and public education, and I strongly encourage my colleagues to adopt this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. Polis
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 284, line 8, strike ``and''.
Page 284, line 14, insert ``and'' after the semicolon.
Page 284, after line 14, insert the following:
``(iii) is working to develop or strengthen a cohesive strategy to encourage collaboration between charter schools and local educational agencies on the sharing of best practices;''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to offer an amendment today that would amend the Charter Schools Program in title III for the underlying bill and make a positive improvement.
As you know, the Charter Schools Program not only is a lifeline for growing and replicating public charter schools, but we want to see the benefit of that innovation spread across other public schools. I am very grateful to both the underlying bill and the Democratic substitute, which both have very strong language--in fact, nearly identical--about helping quality public charter schools grow and expand.
As many of my colleagues are quick to point out, traditional public schools are also doing innovative things and are showing growth every day. For the foreseeable future, the vast majority of students in the country will continue to attend district public schools.
District public schools are innovating to provide meaningful programs for students and are helping to narrow the achievement gap in our country every day.
As my colleagues know, I am quick to point out the benefit of innovation that public charter schools allow, including the two that I founded in Colorado and New Mexico.
My amendment, which I am offering with Mr. Rokita, would encourage charter schools and traditional public schools to collaborate and share best practices. They need not operate in their own separate silos. Both can learn from one another. Both kinds of school governance bring ideas to the table that can improve the quality of education for all students.
This amendment would simply encourage public schools with traditional governance through a school district and public charter schools to work together so that both parties can learn from the others' success.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. I want to thank my friend and colleague for this amendment, and I appreciate being able to join with him on it and on continuing our work on the charter school initiatives.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment supports the sharing of best practices between charter schools and traditional public schools. Again, I think that is a good thing. We have seen the successful charter school-
traditional public school collaborations, like in Ohio between breakthrough schools and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and we know that working together helps each of them excel.
It is the old adage of iron sharpening iron, and that is reflected here in this good amendment. Put simply, Mr. Chairman, many of us believe other charter schools and traditional public schools can benefit from these partnerships as well.
This is a great amendment, and it improves the underlying bill. I thank the gentleman for offering it, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
Ms. BONAMICI. Thank you, Representative Polis, for yielding.
Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Representatives Polis and Rokita for offering this amendment.
High-quality charter schools are laboratories for innovation. In exchange for offering families, students, and educators the autonomy to experiment with new educational models, we expect that successful approaches to teaching and learning will be widely shared so that the roughly millions of students--in fact, the vast majority of students--
in traditional public schools can benefit from the lessons learned.
Last Congress, an amendment I authored was included in the bipartisan Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act. That provision, which is now included in H.R. 5, asks States to track and report on the sharing of best practices emerging from charter schools.
I am pleased that the Polis-Rokita amendment encourages the collaboration between charter schools and school districts to improve the dissemination of promising practices, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I hope that this amendment, in our small way, helps Congress change the culture, which all too often is too competitive between charter schools and school districts.
I have talked to district administrators and to heads of literacy for districts who hadn't been to and didn't know about innovative literacy programs going on in charter schools in their own districts.
Again, there is plenty of blame to go around. I have talked to charter schools that aren't aware of their own district's initiatives for professional development or for STEM education in the lower grades.
By working together, even at times when it takes swallowing one's pride, I am confident that both public charter schools and district-run schools will benefit in the long run, most importantly, benefiting the students that they serve. I call upon my colleagues to support this amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 22 Offered by Ms. Kelly of Illinois
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 22 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 336, after line 20, insert the following:
``(7) An assurance that the applicant will conduct training programs in the community to improve adult literacy, including financial literacy.''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois.
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I offer a commonsense amendment to H.R. 5, the Student Success Act.
My amendment makes a minor modification to the underlying bill and does not have an impact on direct spending; still, the simple fix stands to make a tremendous difference for countless students and families on the education front.
My amendment would provide an assurance from statewide family engagement center grantees, under the ``family engagement in education programs'' portion of the bill, that they will conduct adult and financial literacy training programs in their communities as part of their efforts to engage families and improve academic outcomes for students.
So often, the national debate around education focuses on children in school, but estimates suggest there are 30 million adults in the United States who have trouble with basic literacy. This means, not only do they struggle in their own lives when reading a menu or paying the bills, but they are also unable to help their children with the most basic homework exercises. Parents who struggle to read are often incapable of comprehending report cards and academic progress reports, and their struggle with literacy can have multigenerational consequences as these parents are unable to provide early academic guidance at home that is critical to early learning success.
Like reading literacy, financial literacy is a critical component to comprehensive education, and communities stand to gain from the existence of more local programs devoted to teaching money management skills to parents and kids.
Many teachers cite a lack of time, a lack of State curriculum requirements, and a lack of demand as the top challenges to teaching financial literacy. American students today often find themselves in situations in which they are making more spending decisions and accumulating more debt at a time when debt pressures are impacting student performance and resulting in students dropping out of school.
As the family engagement centers supported by this bill aim to improve educational outcomes for families across the spectrum, they must realize that bolstering reading and financial literacy is a critical comprehensive family engagement in education strategy.
Our national security, economic prosperity, and global standing depend on America's ability to secure its educational and financial future. When schools succeed, America succeeds, and when communities and families are invested in education, students thrive.
I ask for bipartisan support of this commonsense amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. I thank the gentlewoman for this amendment.
Mr. Chairman, family engagement centers are available to help parents understand and engage in their children's education. As a part of that mission, the centers help parents learn basic skills, like literacy. In today's world, financial literacy is an important issue for parents to be able to understand and support their children's education.
I want to be clear that this language is part of a grant application and requirement. In that regard, it is not part of a testing standard or a teacher training standard. With that, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 23 Offered by Ms. Bonamici
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 23 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Beginning on page 342, strike line 13 through page 343, line 24, and insert the following:
``(3) State activities and state administration.--A State educational agency may reserve not more than 17 percent of the amount allotted to the State under subsection (b) for each fiscal year for the following:
``(A) Not more than 5 percent of such amount for each fiscal year for--
``(i) the administrative costs of carrying out its responsibilities under this part;
``(ii) monitoring and evaluation of programs and activities assisted under this part;
``(iii) providing training and technical assistance under this part;
``(iv) statewide academic focused programs; or
``(v) sharing evidence-based and other effective strategies with eligible entities.
``(B) To do one or more of the following:
``(i) To pay the costs of developing the State assessments and standards required under section 1111(b), which may include the costs of working, at the sole discretion of the State, in voluntary partnerships with other States to develop such assessments and standards.
``(ii) If the State has developed the assessments and standards required under section 1111(b), to administer those assessments or carry out other activities related to ensuring that the State's schools and local educational agencies are helping students meet the State's academic standards under such section.
``(iii) To conduct an audit of State assessments and report, in a publicly available format, the findings of such audit, which may include assessment purposes, costs, schedule of administration and dissemination of results, description of alignment with the State's academic standards, and description of policies for inclusion of all students.
``(iv) To develop and implement a plan to improve the State assessment system, which may include efforts, if appropriate as determined by the State--
``(I) to reduce the number of assessments administered;
``(II) to provide professional development on assessment and data literacy;
``(III) to ensure the quality, validity, and reliability of assessments; or
``(IV) to improve the use of assessments by decreasing the time between administering assessments and releasing assessment data.
``(C) Not more than 5 percent of such amount for each fiscal year for awarding blended learning projects under paragraph (4).''.
Page 355, after line 15, insert the following (and redesignate succeeding provisions accordingly):
``(2) Streamlining assessment systems.--An eligible entity that receives an award under this part may use such funds--
``(A) to conduct an audit of the local assessments administered by the local educational agency and report, in a publicly available format, the findings of such audit, which may include such findings as described under section 3202(c)(3)(B)(iii); and
``(B) to develop and implement a plan, in collaboration with local stakeholders, which may include efforts, if appropriate as determined by the eligible entity, as described under section 3202(c)(3)(B)(iv).''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Oregon.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott for their leadership on the committee and on this important legislation. I know that we will need to continue to work together to identify opportunities for bipartisan collaboration if we are going to successfully replace No Child Left Behind, and I have confidence we can do that.
I also thank Representative Costello for his work on this amendment and for his partnership on the SMART Act. Mr. Costello's dedication to public education is commendable, and I look forward to continuing to work with him.
Mr. Chairman, the Bonamici-Costello amendment is an example of finding common ground on a way to support teaching and learning in our Nation's classrooms. We have all heard about the overuse and misuse of standardized tests. Too much time is lost in preparing for and in administering assessments, and too few of these assessments provide timely information that meaningfully supports the learning that is taking place in our schools, but the purposeful use of high-quality assessments can support teaching and learning. Good assessments used appropriately can serve as one tool for monitoring students' progress and in helping parents, teachers, and school leaders see how students are performing across the State.
This amendment will help to reduce the testing burden and build high-
quality assessment systems that support teachers and students. Importantly, the amendment recognizes that a one-size-fits-all policy to address excessive testing won't work. There is evidence that time spent testing fluctuates significantly among districts, with some districts dedicating three times as many hours to testing as other districts.
{time} 2030
This variety in the use of tests is why our amendment lets the States and local districts design their own plans to improve the use of assessments.
Our amendment reserves a portion of local academic flexible grant funds for States and school districts to improve the use of assessments. The amendment allows States and school districts to use those funds to audit their assessment systems and report to the public the results, which might include the amount of time students spend taking tests, whether those tests are high quality, and whether the tests provide prompt feedback to support teaching.
The amendment allows States and school districts to use the funds to develop and implement a plan to make assessments work better for their teachers, families, and students. States and school districts can eliminate low-quality or redundant tests, provide professional development on assessment literacy, or speed the delivery of assessment results to student and educators.
Once again, I thank Representative Costello for his partnership, and Chairman Kline, Representative Rokita, and Representative Scott for their willingness to work with us to make sure States and school districts have the ability to eliminate unneeded assessments and get the most out of high-quality assessments.
I urge my colleagues to support the Bonamici-Costello amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, but I do not intend to oppose the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, public education is overly burdened by standardized tests. Frustrated teachers and parents, not to mention students, are all saying the same thing: We need to do something about excessive testing in our public schools.
Make no mistake, regular assessments in English and math are essential objective tools to measure achievement, but their impact has been worn down through an unnecessary maze of blue books and Scantron sheets that waste classroom time and prevent our teachers from doing their jobs.
Let me illustrate the point at my alma mater, Owen J. Roberts High School. Prior to 1992, high school students would have a midterm and final test for some of their courses, and teachers would spend a day or two reviewing for these tests and a class period giving the tests. This would be approximately 5 hours per subject of instructional time for reviewing for and administering these exams.
Currently, a member of the class of 2017 who is proficient already on Pennsylvania assessment tests will spend approximately 43 hours preparing for and taking three Keystone exams and the other high school assessment to prepare for college.
A member of the class of 2017 who is not proficient on these tests during the first attempt could spend, minimally, 163 hours preparing for and taking three Keystone exams twice, completing three online PBA assessments, attending three classes of remediation, and completing the other high school assessments to prepare for college.
The bottom line: it is too much. It is stifling. It is not conducive to fostering the intellectual growth we want to see in our students.
This bipartisan amendment is a solution to many of the redundant, low-quality, and unnecessary testing that takes place. It will empower teachers and parents by giving existing Federal funding to State and local education agencies to develop curriculum plans to make the use of tests for the student.
It also means quicker delivery of assessment data to educators and parents and a more qualitative analysis of how to shape curriculum for that student from the local district and parents, not the Federal Government.
We need to stop teaching to the test and get back to empowering our children to think and succeed at the local level.
I thank Chairman Kline for the opportunity to address this important issue, and I appreciate the efforts of Congresswoman Bonamici and her unwavering dedication to this issue of improving public education. She has been a delight to work with.
I encourage my colleagues to join in favor of this amendment to be included in H.R. 5, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BONAMICI. May I inquire about the balance of my time?
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Oregon has 2\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 1 minute to my colleague from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Ms. Bonamici for bringing forward this important amendment. Hardly a day goes by where I don't hear from my constituents that there is too much testing.
Now, they don't often make the effort to distinguish between district testing, State testing, Federal testing and classroom testing, but clearly the Federal piece is the part that we are dealing with here today in Washington.
What this amendment ensures is that we can focus on the quality of testing. We recently had a school district, Poudre School District, in and around Fort Collins, that did a review of all the different levels of testing that they have. What drives the most frustration among educators and among families and among students is testing for which they either don't understand the purpose or it doesn't have a purpose.
We need to make clear not only what the purpose of testing is in public education but also have the most efficient and best route to get from here to there with regard to the quality of the tests.
There are too many unnecessary and low-quality tests in public education. And at the same time we maintain our commitment to accountability and transparency, we must ensure that we take the quickest possible line from point A to point B through the highest-
quality tests and the minimum amount of testing necessary to fulfill the very important public policy goals of accountability and transparency.
Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Curbelo), a true champion of public education.
Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment offered by my distinguished colleagues, Mr. Costello and Ms. Bonamici.
As a member of the Miami-Dade County Public School Board, I am all too familiar with all of the challenges that our families and students face as it relates to testing.
Now, don't get me wrong. Testing is a critical part, an element of the accountability system. If we can't ask the question, ``Are our children learning?'' then we have already failed in delivering an education system that serves this great Nation and our families. However, excessive and redundant testing has undermined accountability systems and has made it harder for our young people to learn.
That is why I commend my distinguished colleagues for working together in a bipartisan way to offer this solution that will help millions and millions of children, teachers, and families all over our country. I know that the children of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Monroe County Public Schools will appreciate this amendment. I know that the teachers back home will appreciate this amendment, and I commend my colleagues for their courage to work together in favor of such a smart solution.
I also want to take the opportunity to commend Chairman Kline and Chairman Rokita for all of their hard work on the underlying bill, which I support.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank, again, my cosponsor of this amendment and those who spoke in favor. Good, quality assessments can inform instruction. Duplicative assessments need to be eliminated. This amendment gives districts and States the flexibility to do that. I urge my colleagues to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita).
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Costello for yielding. I want to congratulate him on already being an effective Member of Congress. I also want to thank Representative Bonamici for her continued work on this amendment and seeing it through; also, Representative Carlos Curbelo, a member of our committee, for his effectiveness to date. It has been a great partnership all the way around.
I want to associate myself with Mr. Curbelo's remarks and also simply add that this amendment helps States examine all of the assessments given to students, helps improve how student assessments are used, and possibly limits how many are given.
This is a commonsense amendment, and I am happy to support it and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do so as well.
Mr. COSTELLO of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 24 Offered by Mr. Polis
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 24 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 343, after line 24, insert the following new subparagraph:
``(H) Awarding grants for the creation and distribution of open access textbooks and open educational resources.''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
Mr. POLIS. In education, Mr. Chairman, oftentimes textbooks cost hundreds of dollars for each student. Now, sometimes that money has to come from the families. Sometimes the school or the district might have some old dog-eared textbooks, outdated and of different versions.
I have been to a number of classrooms where the teacher has to say, For your assignment, if you have this version, read pages 33 through 35. If you have this version, it is 36 through 38. If you don't have any version, here's a few copies in front that we'll give to you.
That gets in the way of a quality education, both from an access standpoint, from a reinforcing economic disparity standpoint, as well as preventing our students from having access to the most up-to-date textbooks and available information.
In an effort to address this issue, what my amendment would do is create an allowable use of funds for awarding grants for the creation and distribution of open source textbooks and open educational resources.
The open source movement, in general, is sweeping the country with regard to available education and other areas. My amendment allows funds to be used for the creation and distribution of open source educational resources and textbooks at the K-12 level to bring cost savings to school districts, cost savings to families, and quality enhancements and educational enhancements to those districts, schools, and States that embrace this utilization of the funds.
Many States and districts are already beginning to embrace this concept to save costs and improve the quality of their educational content in tight budget times. My amendment would simply allow them to use existing Federal funds to boost these cost savings even more in innovative districts and States that have chosen to embrace the open source textbook movement.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. Again, I thank Mr. Polis for this amendment. The amendment simply clarifies that States may use, again, at their choosing, their funds under the local academic flexible grant to create or distribute open source education resources. This is a good thing. This grant is designed to be used to support the activities the State and local school districts believe are important to their students. If open source material is what is best for them, they should be able to use the funding to support that activity. This is in line with the spirit and themes found throughout the Student Success Act.
Again, I thank the gentleman for his leadership in offering it. I urge my colleagues to support it, and the underlying bill.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POLIS. Mr. Chairman, by supporting my amendment, Congress can voice its support for the growing academic open source community and for encouraging cost-reducing, quality-enhancing innovation in the content that is available for students across the country.
I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment, the open education resources amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 25 Offered by Ms. Jackson Lee
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 25 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 354, line 19, strike ``two'' and insert ``three''.
Page 355, after line 15, insert the following:
``(iii) Accountability-based programs and activities that are designed to enhance school safety, which may include research-based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention, disruption of recruitment activity by groups or individuals involved in violent extremism, and gang prevention programs, as well as intervention programs regarding bullying.''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentleman from Indiana for his kindness this evening as I have listened to the debate. I want to thank the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Scott, and Mr. Kline, who have worked diligently. We could not have come to the point of having Members' amendments without the very hard work of Mr. Scott's staff, and certainly Mr. Kline. So I thank both of them because of our great concern on this issue.
Mr. Chairman and colleagues, this is a face that I am trying to help with my amendment. This is the face of children being bullied in America.
My amendment supports accountability-based programs and activities that are designed to enhance school safety, including research-based bullying prevention, cyber bullying prevention, disruption of recruitment activity by groups or individuals involved in violent extremism, and gang prevention programs.
I will note, Mr. Chairman, that this amendment wants to support accountability-based programs and to acknowledge that every day in schools across America children of all kinds are bullied. One in seven students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying, and 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
The Jackson Lee amendment also addresses growing concerns regarding violent extremism and the misuse of social media by militant extremist groups to recruit students and young persons.
It really is about giving tools to schools to be prepared for the new, if you will, ills that are facing our children, which include cyber bullying, bullying based on discrimination, and peer advocacy.
{time} 2045
It is noted that when bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds, 57 percent of the time; and bullied youths were most likely to report that actions that accessed support from others made a positive difference.
I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and to realize that we can provide the skills and the tools for school districts to help in these very unfortunate circumstances for our children.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment. This adds an allowable use of funds for what we are calling the local academic flexible grant to support projects that focus on school and student safety.
The local academic flexible grant, again, is the product of us eliminating over 65 programs in current law and delivering the funds that supported those programs back to the States and, with the States' blessing, even further back to local school districts and so forth.
We know all too well that bad things can happen in schools. This amendment will clarify that school districts can use this funding--
again, not being mandated by the Federal Government--but through this grant can use the funding to support programs aimed at making schools safer. This is in all our interests.
I thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment and urge my colleagues to support it and the underlying bill.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?
The Acting CHAIR. The gentlewoman from Texas has 3 minutes remaining.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me, first of all, thank the gentleman from Indiana, again, for the clarity of this instruction to our school districts across America; and if I might, again, acknowledge Mr. Scott and the chairman of the full committee.
If I might continue to say that cyber bullying, it is estimated that 2.2 million children experienced cyber bullying in 2011.
This is a teaching tool. This is a Marvel comic book that says Internet superheroes meet the Internet villains, many different tools that school districts can use to be able to educate our children.
Sixty-four percent of students enrolled in weight loss programs reported experiencing weight-based victimization.
As I indicated, peer advocacy, 70.6 percent of young people say they have seen bullying in their school. We know that this is a problem, but we know that intervention helps. My amendment, again, emphasizes the intervention and the accountability.
I ask my colleagues to support this amendment, I thank them for their support in advance, and I leave you simply by acknowledging that this face should be a smile. When every child goes to school, they should have a smile on their face.
Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. It is listed in the report as Jackson Lee Amendment No. 25.
As the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I have long advocated for the health, dignity and well-being of our nation's children.
One of the fundamental things that children need to succeed in life is a good education.
I thank the Rules Committee for making in order Jackson Lee Amendment No. 25.
Mr. Chair, Jackson Lee Amendment No. 25 supports accountability-based programs and activities that are designed to enhance school safety, which may include research-based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention, disruption of recruitment activity by groups or individuals involved in violent extremism, and gang prevention programs.
Statistics on bullying:
Mr. Chair, the daily reality for too many of our children is that they are threatened, bullied, and assaulted but reluctant to tell adults about their pain or shame:
1. 1 in 7 students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.
2. 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
3. 90% of 4th to 8th grade students report being victims of bullying of some type.
4. 71% of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.
5. 15% of all students who don't show up for school report it to being out of fear of being bullied while at school.
Consequences of bullying:
1. 15% of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school.
2. According to bullying statistics, 10 percent of school dropouts do so because of repeated bullying.
3. Bullying is a leading cause of adolescent suicide.
The Jackson Lee Amendment also addresses growing concerns regarding violent extremism and the misuse of social media by militant extremist groups to recruit students and young people.
Mr. Chair, as we all know, our world changed on September 11, 2001.
Groups like ISIS/ISIL are attempting to reach children and young people through social media.
This activity is being addressed by law enforcement, intelligence, and Homeland Security.
It is important that we provide schools and school districts an opportunity to include in their education programs around school violence material for parents and their children on the issue of radical extremism.
As the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, as well as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee I believe that we must address emerging threats where they are as early as possible.
I ask my colleagues to support Jackson Lee Amendment No. 25 to help protect our school age children from bullying and radical extremism.
CYBERBULLYING AND SUICIDE STATISTICS
Cyberbullying: Estimated that 2.2 million students experienced cyberbullying in 2011.
Of the 9% of students that reported being cyber-bullied in the National Crime Victimization Survey compared to 6.2% in 2009 (NCES, 2013): 71.9% reported being cyber-bullied once or twice in the school year, 19.6% reported once or twice a month, 5.3% reported once or twice a week, and 3.1% reported almost every day.
Bullying based on discrimination: 64% of students enrolled in weight-
loss programs reported experiencing weight-based victimization.
Of 7,000 LGBT aged 13-21 revealed that because of their sexual orientation: 8 of 10 students had been verbally harassed at school, 4 of 10 had been physically harassed at school, 6 of 10 felt unsafe at school, and 1 of 5 had been the victim of a physical assault at school.
Children with disabilities were two to three times more likely to be bullied than their nondisabled peers.
Peer advocacy: 70.6% of young people say they have seen bullying in their schools (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2014). When bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57% of the lime
(U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2014).
Bullying intervention: Bullied youth were most likely to report that actions that accessed support from others made a positive difference
(Davis and Nixon, 2010).
Last thing, I would like to reference the following: Super Heroes Meet the Internet Villains Marvel, sponsored by Microsoft.
How One Government Is Taking Drastic Measures To Save Kids From Islamic
Extremist Brainwashing
(By Kara Pendleton)
ISIS has been busy recruiting children, even publishing a booklet for mothers called the Sister's Role in Jihad that instructs them to begin indoctrinating their children as infants, because waiting until they're older may ``be too late.''
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reports that ``children are central to ISIS,'' being both a propaganda tool and future fighters.
Due to a surge in Islamic extremism occurring in the U.K., the government is taking steps to help combat the grooming and indoctrination of youngsters:
A new bill proposed in the U.K. would enlist school teachers as agents of the state in the fight.
How would it work?
The Daily Mail cites a Home Office (the U.K. counterpart to the U.S. State Department) spokesman, who explained:
``We are not expecting teachers and nursery workers to carry out unnecessary intrusion into family life but we do expect them to take action when they observe behaviour of concern.
For schools, including nurseries and other childcare providers, we would expect staff to have the training they need to identify children at risk of radicalisation and know where and how to refer them for further help if necessary.''
However, some argue this latest move is a step too far.
The policy director of the human rights body Liberty, Isabella Sanky, believes the focus should be on supporting those children who are at risk:
``Instead they are playing straight into terrorists' hands by rushing through a Bill that undermines our democratic principles and turns us into a nation of suspects.''
People remain split over whether it is acceptable for the state to take children away from their parents. With ISIS and radical Islam on the rise, it's clearly difficult to find the line between freedom and state control and identify a solution that both respects individual rights and protects the populous.
I ask for support of the Jackson Lee amendment and yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 26 Offered by Ms. Wilson of Florida
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 26 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 354, line 19, strike ``two categories'' and insert
``four categories''.
Page 355, after line 15, insert the following:
``(iii) Establishing, expanding, or maintaining intensive care reading laboratories to assist elementary school students who are reading at below grade level.
``(iv) Enabling elementary schools to provide instruction in language arts, mathematics, and science in grades 1 through 3 through teachers who are specialized in language arts, mathematics, or science, respectively.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wilson) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.
Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, this amendment provides for elementary students reading below grade level to utilize intensive care reading labs to improve their reading efficiency.
I am well aware of the shortcomings of H.R. 5 and its failure to make the improvements necessary to bring our educational system into the 21st century. The bill falls short of providing quality education for many of our young students and has, in fact, left many of our students behind.
Students need enriching learning environments, individualized instruction, well-trained teachers, and positive reinforcement to support their educational development.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment I have before you today provides for just that approach to helping students improve their reading proficiency.
First, it provides for individualized reading instruction through intensive care reading labs, in addition to their normal reading instruction in schools, helping improve students' literacy early in their education.
In these labs, students will be taught by highly trained teachers who work with students in small numbers to improve their literacy and reading comprehension. If children can read on grade level by grade three, they will graduate high school.
Teachers in first, second, and third grade should specialize in teaching language arts, then another subgroup should specialize in math and science. They should be trained by the school district.
By using this specialized approach, schools will be able to better prepare teachers and ensure students are being taught by teachers dedicated to their specific fields. In high schools, English teachers teach English, math teachers teach math. It should be the same in K-3 grades.
That is why I support this amendment and why I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this amendment as well.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Indiana is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern and the purpose of this amendment; however, it must be opposed.
Comprehensive literacy and reading programs and their connection to college and career success are obviously vitally important.
Since State and local educational officials understand the importance of reading proficiency, including the benefits of teaching comprehension, vocabulary, and other skills, I am confident that these officials will see the benefits of programs like this and choose to use their local academic flexible grant under this bill to fund programs like this.
The block grant is designed to be flexible, thereby allowing local education officials to use the funds in a way that most benefits their students. We do not want to start rebuilding the silos that we have just knocked down with this bill language.
I believe this amendment, unfortunately, would do that very thing by requiring this instruction instead of letting State and local school districts, teachers, parents, local taxpayers, and school officials decide what is best for their students.
I agree, again, with the importance of this issue, but oppose the amendment as the underlying bill already provides States and school districts funding flexibility to set their own priorities, not letting Washington do it.
I encourage my colleagues, on that basis then, to oppose this amendment but still support the underlying bill.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wilson).
The amendment was rejected.
Amendment No. 27 Offered by Mr. Courtney
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 27 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 366, line 5, strike ``and''.
Page 366, after line 5, insert the following:
(2) in paragraph (1)(E)--
(A) by striking ``(E)'' and inserting ``(E)(i)'';
(B) by striking the semicolon and inserting ``; or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(ii) resided on Federal property under lease under subchapter IV of chapter 169 of title 10, United States Code;''; and
Page 366, line 6, strike ``(2)'' and insert ``(3)''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Chairman, nearly two decades ago, Congress created the Military Housing Privatization Initiative to improve military family housing that, in many cases, was decrepit by allowing private developers to upgrade, maintain, and operate housing communities.
In the years since, public-private ventures created under this program have infused millions in private capital to improve the living conditions of military families at installations all across the country and has made a tremendous difference for our military families across the Nation.
As of 2011, 193,000 units of housing have been converted under this program. Under the program, priority for housing goes first to military personnel, then to Federal employees and retirees. However, if occupancy rates drop below certain levels for a period of time, the housing can be made available to the general public.
Allowing nonmilitary families with children access to this housing is an important part of ensuring the financial viability of these ventures, but it also presents unanticipated challenges to the host communities where they are located, since these properties are property tax exempt.
For example, today, there are 130 civilian nonmilitary children residing at the public-private housing at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut.
These children attend Groton public schools alongside military children residing in the same community; yet Groton receives no Impact Aid support for the cost of their education. Since their housing is property tax exempt, the host community has to absorb the entire per pupil cost for their education.
While I was made aware of this problem because of the growing challenge in Groton, it is clear from discussions with Navy officials and the Groton developer that the same problem will face communities across the country that have privatized military housing, as the size and composition of our military changes in the years ahead.
Under current law, local schools are eligible to receive only 5 percent of the support payments for children residing on Federal property with a parent who is not affiliated, but only if the number of children being educated equals or exceeds 1,000 or equals or exceeds 10 percent of the total numbers of students in average daily attendance.
My amendment is simple. It would ensure that the number of civilian children living in property tax exempt military housing can be more adequately factored into a community's support for educating these children under Impact Aid.
Since my amendment was made in order last night, I have heard recognition of the problem that I am seeking to address, but also concerns at how it would have wider-ranging impacts to this program, particularly in light of the ongoing funding challenges in Impact Aid.
Throughout the day, my staff and I have had productive and thoughtful discussions with the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools and the Military Impacted Schools Association about how to address this issue that my communities and others are facing.
I would note that the chairman of the committee, Mr. Kline, who also serves on the House Armed Services Committee with me, has pledged to work with my office to try and address this issue which, again, at the end of the day, is about fairness for host communities that step up and make sure that our military families have safe and good schools.
Mr. KLINE. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. COURTNEY. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.
Mr. KLINE. I will be happy to work with you.
Mr. COURTNEY. I appreciate that, Mr. Kline. These organizations have pledged to work with me to find ways to constructively address these issues in the days moving ahead.
Mr. Chair, I withdraw my amendment.
Amendment No. 28 Offered by Mr. Nolan
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 28 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 391, line 19, add at the end after the period the following: ``It is further the policy of the United States to ensure that Indian children do not attend school in buildings that are dilapidated or deteriorating, which may negatively affect the academic success of such children.''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking Chairman Kline for his work on this important legislation; of course, Ranking Member Bobby Scott as well; and the members of the committee and the Rules Committee for allowing us to offer this amendment here this evening.
Mr. Chairman, in short, my amendment ensures that Indian children will not be expected to attend school in buildings that are dilapidated and dangerous.
Under title V of House Resolution 5, the Federal Government has an obligation to fund and to maintain these schools. It is time to honor that obligation and send the message to our students in Indian Country that their education and their success in life are important to all of us, and expecting them to go to school in facilities in utter disrepair simply does not send that message.
According to the Department of the Interior, there are 63 schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that are listed in poor condition.
For example, the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School on the Leech Lake Reservation in my district is housed in an old pole building--cold and drafty in the winter, hot in the summer, unfit for children or teachers in any season.
I operated my sawmill and pallet factory in a pole building. I think we all agree that we want something better for our children when they go to school.
Look around us right now, Mr. Chairman. We have a magnificent Capitol here to symbolize the importance of the work and the purpose of what we do here.
Sure, as a practical matter, we can conduct our Nation's business in a pole building, but we don't and for good reason.
{time} 2100
Architecture needs to carry with it not only a sense of function but a sense of importance and a sense of purpose. The simple truth is architecturally distinctive schools deliver a message to students that their education is valued, that it is important.
The Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School I mentioned, like so many others, has an incredibly long list of serious problems. Students endure rodent and bat infestations, roof leaks and holes, mold and fungus, a faulty air system, uneven floors, poor lighting, sewer problems, and dangerous electrical configurations with wires just crisscrossing all the hallways and the rooms in a dangerous way. This building is literally at risk of collapse. It has earned the nickname ``Killer Hall'' from the local emergency responders.
Students and faculty throughout the 63 schools in Indian Country face similar serious health and safety risks every day at schools like this, thus perpetuating lower graduation rates and difficulties retaining qualified teachers. In fact, Chairman Kline, himself, called for action on tribal school construction in a letter to the Bureau of Indian Education just last week, and I want to applaud him for that.
Regarding the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, the chairman said: ``This appalling situation not only adversely affects the quality of education these students receive, but also their health and safety.'' The chairman is right. Our children deserve better, regardless of where they live.
I want to particularly thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, for her continued support on this issue, as well as Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, Congressman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, and Congressman Raul Ruiz of California for cosponsoring this amendment.
I am pleased the administration requested more money for the Bureau of Indian Education construction funding in its most recent budget, but we can do better. We can do more.
Minnesota's MinnPost reporter Devin Henry recently wrote a story entitled, ``Where Republicans and Democrats Agree the Government Needs to Spend More,'' and that item is funding for Indian education and construction. I will include that article in the Record.
Where Republicans and Democrats Agree the Government Needs to Spend
More
(By Devin Henry)
Washington.--From budget limits to the national debt, much of the debate Washington today focuses on cutting spending. But on at least one line item in President Obama's budget, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that the government needs to spend more.
Minnesota Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democrat on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, said she and a group of members, including Republicans, are looking for ways to boost funding for school construction on tribal lands around the country, even after Obama proposed pumping millions in new money into it.
Tribal school construction has been neglected for some time, so even though Obama proposed more than doubling its modest budget next year, it's not nearly enough to confront the problem of broken down schools around the country. In Minnesota, the Leech Lake Reservation's Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, typifies this--it's housed in a used pole barn and students have taken to wearing winter coats while in the school. When winds reach 40 miles per hour, teachers move children to other buildings.
The administration sees Obama's proposal as a first step of a multi-year effort to improve the system, but Indian education advocates are looking for more money right now to kick-start new school construction down the road.
Still, officials are heartened that the issue is at least on the radar--the Bug School, for example, isn't funded in Obama's plan, but tribal chairwoman Carri Jones issued a statement saying the tribe is ``extremely pleased and grateful'' that the president included new funds in his budget.
On Capitol Hill, funding for Indian education, especially school construction, is an area of relative bipartisanship: last year, for example, both parties agreed on a large spending increase for replacement school construction around the country, above what even Obama proposed. McCollum credits this to trust and treaty obligations the United States government has to tribes across America--the U.S. has a responsibility to support tribes, and it's one Congress takes seriously.
There are still a lot of questions about what McCollum and others are trying to do, like how much money they're looking for, and where it will come from. For now, she's not getting into details, except to say that she thinks more money could be on its way.
``This is not enough money and we need to come up with a plan that would have tribal nations, American children who are members of tribal nations, going to safe schools, 21st century schools,'' she said.
Obama's plan wins bipartisan support
Obama has proposed a $1 billion budget for the Bureau of Indian Education in 2016--a $150 million increase over current levels. That includes $45 million for new school construction. The budget represents a big increase over what Obama has looked for in the past--new school construction saw a big influx of funding in the stimulus act in 2009, but his
$3.5 million request last year was his first since 2011.
Even so, the problem is much bigger than what's in Obama's budget. His proposal would go toward building the last two buildings on a 2004 list of replaceable schools, but that would still leave behind a $1.3 billion backlog of dilapidated schools nationwide.
Members on both sides of the aisle greeted the request as a welcome change of pace after what McCollum described as a
``time out'' for BIE construction funding. Republican Rep. Tom Cole, an Oklahoman on the Appropriations Committee with whom McCollum has worked on Indian issues, said the proposal
``is an area where we can cooperate and hopefully make a lot of progress on.''
Minnesota Rep. John Kline, who chairs the House Education Committee, said in a statement that he's ``pleased'' by the proposal and vowed to ``look more closely at this issue and demand better for these students.''
All that said, everyone recognizes the plan only accounts for two schools-worth of funding. When Interior Secretary Sally Jewell introduced Obama's plan to reporters last month, she acknowledged that $45 million isn't enough to made major inroads in the school construction backlog. She called it
``just step one in a multi-year approach'' to fixing the backlog, and said it ``was as far as we could reasonably go'' to fit funding into the overall budget and get lawmakers' approval.
Happy with the plan, but looking for more
Congress has a history of going above and beyond what the Obama administration requests on BIE issues. Last year, for example, Obama requested $3.5 million to plan construction of a new BIE school in Maine. Congress appropriated $20.1 million to straight-up build the school instead.
Since Obama's 2016 budget covers the money needed to rebuild the schools still on the government's list, any money above that could go toward planning the schools that might be included on a new replacement list, McCollum said. ``When we see the list and we have a dollar figure off the list, then we need to have the big idea, the big plan on a way forward so we can get these schools reconstructed so they can be repaired, and rebuilt where they need to be taken down,'' she said.
To that end, she and other budget writers are scouring the budget--from the Interior Department and beyond--trying to find funding to pump up BIE construction even further. It's a bipartisan effort: McCollum said she, Cole and a group of other Republicans began discussing additional funding schemes while they toured Indian Country in Arizona last month.
``We were literally at dinner like, `what if we try this, what if we try that, well we're going to talk to Treasury, we're going to talk to OMB, let's talk to the White House,'
'' she said.
There is danger here, of course, that partisan budget fights could delay or derail the whole process. The Interior budget is relatively small, which McCollum said makes it difficult to shift funding toward a bipartisan priority like Indian schools when there are other areas--clean air and water, wildfire prevention--that need funding. It's easier to find money for Defense Department schools (the only other school system the federal government runs) because the DOD budget is so big.
But that's what negotiations are for. McCollum and Oklahoma's Cole both said they expect to eventually find a path forward on this.
``The trick is always finding the money, because the president is proposing this having disregarded the budget caps,'' Cole said. ``But it wouldn't be the first time, on Interior Approps, we've been able to rob Peter to pay Paul. And the Democrats might not like the Peter, but we all agree on the Paul that needs help, in this case Indian Education.''
Bug School could get on new list
The Leech Lake Reservation's Bug School has gained some notoriety in the Indian education community. Jewell visited it last summer and in announcing Obama's funding request, mentioned it as the type of school that needs to be replaced. Lawmakers did the same in a budget bill Congress passed in December.
When officials made their list of replacement schools in 2004, they left off the Bug School. The Interior Department has now assembled a team of experts from the Department of Defense' school system and the Interior Department to write a new list and come up with criteria meant to more accurately identify replaceable schools.
For example, McCollum said, the last list considered the condition of all the schools in an individual district, and because Leech Lake's elementary schools are in comparably acceptable condition, the Bug School was less likely to make the cut. Its inclusion in a budget bill, and the attention Jewell has given it, indicates its inclusion on a new list, which is expected this spring.
``We are extremely pleased and grateful that the President's budget includes substantially more funding for BIE school construction and rehabilitation than in years past and that it begins to recognize the significant need in Indian Country for a safe learning environment for our students,'' Jones, the Leech Lake tribal chairwoman, said in a statement to MinnPost. ``We are fighting to give our community a new high school facility because our children deserve the best educational opportunities.''
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Chairman, the choice today is simple. No child should be expected to endure deteriorating school rooms to get an education. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I seek time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment, although I do not oppose it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Minnesota is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from the cold north of Minnesota for his very excellent amendment. We know in Minnesota, as we know across the country, that the state of many of these Indian schools are just absolutely deplorable. He described that very well. It is appalling that sometimes it has taken us 10 years to identify a problem, and we can't do anything about it.
We are compromising the education of vulnerable children; we are compromising their health and safety, as my friend from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan) said; and we are certainly compromising their education and their hopes for a better future. That is why we have got to look more closely at this issue. That is why I did write the letter to the Director of the BIE to begin a dialogue. That is why we will hold, in the coming weeks, a hearing to dig into this.
We are badly organized, shall I say, in the government sometimes and in the Congress. So one committee is looking at one thing, and then nobody is looking at another, and nobody is paying attention to something else, and we have let this deplorable situation develop. We have got to do better.
The gentleman's amendment will help in this regard. I very much appreciate that he did it. I am very, very supportive of this amendment because it makes this bill a better bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Nolan).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 29 Offered by Mrs. Davis of California
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 29 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 514, line 9, strike ``of the school'' and insert ``in the school building''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, this bipartisan amendment that I bring forward with my colleagues, Mr. Dold of Illinois and Mr. Polis of Colorado, would clarify the definition of ``school leader'' currently contained in section 6101 of H.R. 5.
Mr. Chairman, the current definition of ``school leader'' contained in this bill is problematic. As currently drafted, the definition fails to make clear to State and local school districts that a school leader is an individual who runs the operations and instructional programs within a school, as opposed to a district administrator who oversees individual schools' programs.
As a result, States and local school districts might interpret this definition to apply to an assistant superintendent of curriculum or a subject matter content specialist who oversees instructional practices within an LEA but is not in a school building on a daily basis, such as a principal.
This amendment removes this ambiguity by making it clear that the definition of ``school leader'' should apply as it was originally intended--directly and solely to a school principal. If left unchanged, it is possible that district administrators could become eligible for title II professional development funds currently aimed at improving the quality of our Nation's school principals.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which ensures that title II funds go to the school leader, the person who is most responsible for student achievement.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DOLD. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, even though I am not opposed to it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman from Illinois is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. DOLD. Mr. Chairman, I certainly want to thank my good friend from California for her leadership on this, and also my friend from Colorado.
Really what this is doing, Mr. Chairman, is this is talking about a technical correction. As my friend from California pointed out, what we are really looking to try to do is to make sure that the dollars allocated in this bill for continuing education and other things are actually going to a school leader, which is mentioned throughout this bill, but ``school leader'' is left largely undefined.
We want to make sure that we put a little bit more definition for our local school districts so that they have a better understanding that a school leader is actually someone that resides within the school. We think that is absolutely critical in terms of continuing education, some of the other programs, to make sure that it is not ambiguous. We want to make sure that we are focusing on the task at hand.
We hope that this is something, again, that has bipartisan support. We hope that we will be able to go through the process fairly quickly.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my colleague from Illinois and reiterate that this is merely a clarifying amendment, but one with real impact as it will return the term ``school leader'' to its originally intended use.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 30 Offered by Mr. Zeldin
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 30 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 563, after line 15, insert the following:
``SEC. 6532. STATE CONTROL OVER STANDARDS.
``(a) In General.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit a State from withdrawing from the Common Core State Standards or any other specific standards.
``(b) Prohibition.--No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts or other cooperative agreements, through waiver granted under section 6401 or through any other authority, take any action against a State that exercises its rights under subsection (a).''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise this evening in support of my amendment that sends a very clear message to States that if they choose to withdraw from Common Core, there will be no penalty whatsoever from the Federal Government.
As a New York State Senator, I introduced legislation with New York State Assemblymen Al Graf and Ed Ra that would stop Common Core in New York.
In New York, we have these Common Core standards set nationally, tests created by the State, curriculum set by the local school districts, and no one is talking to each other; teachers not only teaching to the test, but they are teaching to the wrong test because they are not given the tools they need to know what the test is even going to look like.
And for any government Kool Aid-drinking bureaucrat who is listening to this and disagreeing with what I have to say, you are not listening to those parents and educators and students who are pleading with passion exactly what I am saying, begging for a positive change that will improve the quality of education in America's classrooms.
The most common argument I received in opposition to my bill was that if New York State withdrew from Common Core, that somehow the Federal Government was going to punish New York State with hundreds of millions of dollars lost--some even said billions of dollars. This amendment is the most important action that this Congress can take to diffuse those claims and allow States to withdraw without punishment.
As for my strong personal opinion, I believe in higher standards, but I don't believe that Common Core is the answer. This goes way beyond the complaints of killing morale in the teaching profession. Much more importantly, this is about killing the morale for that student who is intelligent, pays attention in class, goes home and does their homework. They are going to grow up to be a doctor or a lawyer or a successful businessman. They are being told that they are not proficient in reading--not because they are not proficient in reading, but because the rollout of Common Core has been a disaster.
We have 10-year-old special education students taking fifth grade tests even if they are reading at a first grade reading level. Or you can go on the EngageNY Web site and read about how first graders, the domain for English language arts, early world civilizations, they are learning about ancient world Mesopotamia and the strategic advantage of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers with regard to the development of the city of Babylon--6-year-olds, first graders.
As a father of twin third grade girls, I believe in higher standards. I believe in challenging our students to excel and to aim as high as possible. But when it comes to all of America's children, there just shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach.
While some States embrace Common Core, not all States' needs are the same. My amendment would allow States currently using Common Core to opt out without punishment. Parents need to be in charge of their children's education, not unelected, faceless bureaucrats making unilateral decisions for the entire Nation.
A one-size-fits-all solution to education reform intensifies the problem, and it doesn't address our underlying issues. We want to provide the best possible opportunities for our children, and the people best positioned to make those decisions are our parents and our local educators.
I ask my colleagues to support my amendment, hear the concerns of our parents and educators, and heed the call to rescue our schoolchildren. It is like when they fall into the deep end of a pool, they don't have a lifejacket, they don't yet know how to swim. That is what it feels like for many of them.
This is a vote for residents in your district who aren't even old enough to vote. Fight for them and pass this amendment.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is not necessary because there is no prohibition against people withdrawing from Common Core.
I think we need to say a few things about Common Core.
It is not a national or a Federal initiative. It is State led. States develop the Common Core standards through the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association. The U.S. Department of Education did not participate in that. The administration does not coerce States into adopting Common Core. In fact, States have received waivers under NCLB and have not adopted Common Core, like my home State of Virginia.
In Virginia, our State system of higher education certified that when a child is proficient under our standards of learning, they could enter public universities without the needed remediation. Those standards were okay, not the Common Core.
Frankly, we need those kinds of standards, college and career-ready, because you want people, when they graduate from high school, to be able to go to college without remediation. That is not a high bar, and we want to make sure that whatever happens to this amendment, we are not exempting States from meaningful standards.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 2115
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
Mr. POLIS. I thank the gentleman from Virginia.
Mr. Chairman, there is an enormous amount of misperception about what the Common Core standards are. Frankly, those of us who serve in this body are elected leaders. I urge my colleagues to take the time to educate themselves about this collaborative effort between a number of States that have developed college- and career-ready standards before they decry it based on misperceptions that, unfortunately, exist among the American public.
A number of States chose to work collaboratively on college- and career-ready standards. What we at the Federal level want to see is that States have college- and career-ready standards. We want to make sure that a diploma is meaningful. If a Federal investment is made, we want to make sure that States don't define success downward, disguising achievement gaps and making it look like every child achieves expectations by lowering expectations.
How they do that is entirely up to them. Let me repeat myself. How they do that is entirely up to them. Many States choose to work together. Some States choose to create their own standards. A project of the National Governors Association had Governors and State education commissioners working together to develop college- and career-ready standards. Other States have chosen to develop their own college- and career-ready standards.
That really is an appropriate discussion to have at the State level, but not in the halls of Washington. You won't hear people pushing Common Core standards here in Washington because I don't think any of us feel it is an appropriate discussion. But for some reason people have a particular agenda against what some of their own States are doing here in Washington. Well, I suggest they don't run for Congress. I suggest they run for Governor if that is their beef. This is simply the wrong place to have a discussion about curriculum and standards.
Mr. Chairman, the Federal Government does not set standards; the Federal Government does not set curriculum. It is also important to note that curriculum standards are different. Curriculum is developed from the standards, and depending on what standards the States have adopted, the curriculum is an entirely different matter.
So, again, I hope that we can use this opportunity as a learning moment so my colleagues can engage in a more meaningful debate about what standards are and who sets them.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I think this would be a very good learning moment because States were receiving hundreds of millions, into the billions of dollars, from the Federal Government. They had to sign up for Common Core in order to get the money.
Mr. POLIS. Will the gentleman yield?
Mr. ZELDIN. No. Let me----
Mr. POLIS. You do not need to sign up for Common Core to receive the funding.
Mr. KLINE. Regular order, Mr. Chairman.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Dold). The gentleman from New York controls the time.
Mr. ZELDIN. There were applications that were sent from New York State, for example, to the Federal Government signed by the New York State congressional delegation asking for a waiver from the Federal Government, asking for money from the Federal Government to New York State that went to over 700 school districts to sign up for Common Core and all sorts of other things that came from the Federal Government. So I appreciate this as a learning moment.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time to Mr. Scott.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Virginia has 1\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I just want to reiterate that the Commonwealth of Virginia had received a waiver without accepting, without being involved in Common Core. We need to make sure that we have meaningful, high standards so that when someone graduates from high school, they are college- or career-ready without remediation. Whatever happens to this amendment, we want to make sure that States are not trying to exempt themselves out of reasonable standards.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York will be postponed.
Amendment No. 31 Offered by Mr. Hurd of Texas
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 31 printed in part B of House Report 114-29.
Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 574, after line 17, insert the following:
``SEC. 6552. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PROTECTING STUDENT PRIVACY.
``(a) Findings.--The Congress finds as follows:
``(1) Students' personally identifiable information is important to protect.
``(2) Students' information should not be shared with individuals other than school officials in charge of educating those students without clear notice to parents.
``(3) With the use of more technology, and more research about student learning, the responsibility to protect students' personally identifiable information is more important than ever.
``(4) Regulations allowing more access to students' personal information could allow that information to be shared or sold by individuals who do not have the best interest of the students in mind.
``(5) The Secretary has the responsibility to ensure every entity that receives funding under this Act holds any personally identifiable information in strict confidence.
``(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the Secretary should review all regulations addressing issues of student privacy, including those under this Act, and ensure that students' personally identifiable information is protected.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 125, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Chairman, our children are our most precious resource, so protecting their personally identifiable information is incredibly important. As a former undercover officer in the CIA, I have seen the damage that can be done when personal data falls into the wrong hands. Bad actors can not only use this information for their own gain, they can also use it to target America's children. It is up to us to protect our children and ensure their information is secure. Students' personal information should never be shared with anyone who is not authorized to view it or use it, period.
I support the final passage of H.R. 5 and hope this amendment will spur Congress to help protect the personally identifiable information of our Nation's students.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Texas has raised some good points about data privacy with this amendment. The Subcommittee on Elementary and Secondary Education held a hearing on data privacy in the digital age earlier this month, and I think we are going to be looking at ways that we can improve FERPA for the 21st century during this Congress.
Mr. Chairman, that bill was written 40 years ago when data in the classroom was all in a teacher's grade book and technology was not employed anywhere close to where it is today. Parents need to be able to trust that their children's personal information is secure and will not be used for marketing or noneducational purposes. Teachers need to be given resources to understand how they can best protect the students' data. As policymakers, we need to safeguard student privacy while supporting technological innovation happening in American schools.
We must help researchers and educators diagnose and address achievement gaps and enable all students to achieve their greatest potential. So I support the gentleman's amendment, and yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will be postponed.
Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr. Stivers) having assumed the chair, Mr. Dold, Acting Chair of the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5) to support State and local accountability for public education, protect State and local authority, inform parents of the performance of their children's schools, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution thereon.
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