Todd Rokita

Mr. ROKITA

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his leadership. On behalf of Chairman Kline and myself and other certain members of the committee, I would like to put on the Record that we think this amendment improves the underlying bill. I thank the gentlemen for offering it and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I oppose this amendment because it simply goes back to the status quo of current law, which ties the hands of State officials over budgeting. What schools and States need is less Federal control and greater flexibility, not the opposite. We need to stop thinking that we know what is best for States, and that includes telling them how much to spend on various areas of their budget. I want to be clear that the statutory civil rights provisions in current law are kept. We don't have that issue with this bill. I want to also make the point that just because you spend more money on something doesn't mean you get a better result. Since 1970, Federal education spending has increased 300 percent in this country, while test scores have remained flat. So just increasing funding levels isn't necessarily the answer. The fact of the matter is an MOE directs the States' and individuals' property, i.e., their money, to do things that really we shouldn't be telling States or localities or individuals what to do with. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for this amendment, although I must oppose it. It is my understanding that this amendment is unnecessary in the sense that, during the last Congress, the House adopted a nearly identical amendment offered by the gentlewoman when H.R. 5 was considered at the time. Because it was adopted, her original amendment is included in the base text of this version of H.R. 5; therefore, this amendment is duplicative of existing language. Mr. Chair, I would politely say to the gentlewoman that she fails to see just how persuasive she was in the last Congress, and I would urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, not because of the underlying idea, but because it is simply duplicative of existing language. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleagues for this amendment, although I must oppose it. This amendment adds back specific Federal requirements for paraprofessionals. These provisions place too much emphasis on a teacher's credentials, degrees, and licensing. As a result, schools have come to value a teacher's resume over his or her ability to increase student achievement, i.e., their effectiveness. The elimination of these requirements in the Student Success Act does not prohibit States or local school districts from having requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals, but certainly, it is not the job of the Federal Government to tell States and locals what those requirements are. Because of that, I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, research indicates reliable, high-quality child care is critical to sustaining parents' ability to work. That is why the legislation would allow States and schools to use funds allocated through what we call the local academic flexible grant under title I to support pre-K programs. Instead of creating a Federal program, as I see this amendment, it improves the coordination between existing Head Start programs and local educational agencies. This amendment improves the underlying bill, I think, and strengthens existing early childhood care and education programs for children in low-income families. As a cosponsor of the bill, I would like to thank the gentleman for offering this amendment. Again, I think it improves the underlying bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROKITA. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chair, I think this is a good amendment. It clarifies the law on this topic, and I am glad to support it. I thank the gentleman for offering it, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. ROKITA

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. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed.

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. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

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.

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. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

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.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I do not oppose the amendment.

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.

Mr. ROKITA. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, but I do not oppose the amendment.

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.