A8 By and large our public schools are failing. In my view, the key to turning our schools around and successful education reform is accountability and standards. If we do not demand excellence, we will not get it. And we need to demand it from our students, teachers and administrators. Our public education system has the potential to be the best in the world, but we must do more.
School children deserve to learn in modern, updated schools.
School and class sizes must be smaller. That is why I introduced a bill that would help finance school construction, as well as bring our dilapidated and overcrowded schools up to standards that ensure a higher quality environment in which our children can learn. Social promotion has produced a generation of young people who cannot read, write, or count the change in their pockets. As a strong supporter of the Student Achievement Act of 1999, I believe we must do what we can to finally end social promotion, but we must also not abandon those children who may be having a tough time in school. Therefore, I also strongly support providing additional funding for extra remedial education.