" Senator Ted Kennedy Delivers"……"Response on Bush's Broken Promise to America's Schools"
"We cannot remain silent when the President now fails to fund
his own education bill. It was a wonderful promise -- but it has become a
hollow promise.
In fact, his budget proposal actually cuts funds for public school reform, while
providing 4 billion dollars to private schools -- and 600 billion dollars in new tax
breaks for the wealthy.
With the President's cuts in education, 18,000 fewer teachers will be trained
next year."
Apr 6, 2002
democrats.org
This is Senator Ted Kennedy, and I want to talk about
one of the most important priorities for America's
families and America's future ? a good education for
every child in America.
Good schools and good teachers help students realize
their dreams. They keep America strong by developing
the skills essential for prosperity and our national
security. Good schools and good teachers help
children become good citizens who live up to our best
values as a nation.
Last year, I was proud to work with President Bush to
enact major legislation to improve the nation's public
schools -- and give education the priority it deserves,
as one of the most important investments America can
make.
The progress we made then was the culmination of a
long effort.
Over the last six years, Democrats have worked
successfully to increase federal help for local public schools -- to see that
schools have well--trained, qualified teachers in every classroom, and smaller
class sizes, so that teachers can discipline and give students more
one-on-one attention. We want to help local communities modernize their
schools, rebuild crumbling facilities, and make their schools safer.
During those years, we increased federal assistance to schools by an average
of over 13 percent a year. We still have much more to do to improve our public
schools.
And last year, we worked closely with President Bush to enact those landmark
bipartisan education reforms for the future.
Politics should stop at the schoolhouse door. But we also have to stand up for
what is right. We cannot remain silent when the President now fails to fund
his own education bill. It was a wonderful promise -- but it has become a
hollow promise.
In fact, his budget proposal actually cuts funds for public school reform, while
providing 4 billion dollars to private schools -- and 600 billion dollars in new tax
breaks for the wealthy.
With the President's cuts in education, 18,000 fewer teachers will be trained
next year.
With the President's cuts in education, 33,000 children will be denied
after-school programs that keep kids off the streets.
With the President's cuts in education, six million needy children will be left
behind. One in every five students will attend a school that's unsafe or
crumbling. There's not one dollar in the President's budget to rebuild and
modernize America's schools.
With the President's cuts in education, the doors to college will be closed for
many students. Pell Grants won't go up by even one penny, even though
college tuition continues to climb.
Just this week, the President called for more help for children in their early
years, so they can start school ready to learn. But once again, the President
fails to provide parents and child care workers and preschool teachers with
the resources to meet this important new challenge.
It's time to match reform in education with resources for education. Democrats
ask the President to join with us to keep the promise made last year. Instead
of diverting billions of dollars to private schools, we should invest those
billions in our public schools as the President promised ? for better teachers,
smaller classes, and safer schools. To us, this should not be a partisan fight.
It's a fight for America's future. And we can't afford to walk away from it.
We ask you, the American people, to stand with us by letting the President
and Congress know that education is your priority too.
Thank you for listening.
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