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June 14, 2001
ROCKEFELLER HAILS SENATE PASSAGE OF EDUCATION BILL
Senator Points to Bipartisan Cooperation As Key to Landmark Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the Senate’s 91-8 vote late this afternoon to pass the "Better Education for Students and Teachers (BEST) Act," Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) hailed the bill as the largest investment in elementary and secondary education by the federal government. Rockefeller noted that the legislation is a major step forward in improving accountability and education reform for West Virginia’s schools, and praised his colleagues from both parties for working together to pass a bill that is important to all children nationwide.
"Today, we took action to address an issue that is perhaps more important to our nation’s future than any other -- the education of our children," Rockefeller said. "This legislation will promote accountability and school reform, and I appreciate the Administration’s recognition that the federal government must play an important role in raising the quality of our schools. This bill is the first step toward meaningful reform, and the next step will be to ensure that we fulfill the funding commitments in this legislation."
Rockefeller pointed to a number of areas of bipartisan agreement on the bill that illustrate the national commitment to education reform. He applauded provisions that set high standards for all children’s learning including regular testing to monitor and report on student achievement. The bill also includes strong measures to evaluate school programs and help low performing schools to improve. Other key provisions call for investments in professional development for teachers which is considered fundamental to education reform. The bill calls for more funding to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -- which provides additional support to children with disabilities. It also seeks to promote more parental involvement which is essential to a child’s success.
"Education must be a priority for West Virginia and our country. This package links accountability and reform to new investments in order to achieve the bold goals set by this bill," the Senator said.
Rockefeller stressed that these crucial programs can only survive and succeed if they are backed up by federal funding. "We can guarantee that our children are the best and brightest in the world, but we need the resources to do so. The tax cut has left us with much less flexibility. As we continue to pass other important legislation this year, we must ensure that funding for education remains a top priority."
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