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Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, yesterday, I introduced the Educational Opportunities and Excellence Act of 1999. This legislation represents the Republican vision how we can improve educational opportunities for every American child.
Last year, Congressional Republicans passed an educational agenda to provide every child in America with first-class learning opportunities in safe, secure schools, to give parents new choices and more decision-making power over their children's education, and to bring common-sense reforms to a myriad of redundant and antiquated federal education programs. Unfortunately, the special interests in Washington were resistant to change and fought desperately against our reform efforts. This is what happened:
What We Proposed and What Happened
(1) A+ Accounts--President vetoed.
(2) Block Grants--Passed Senate, dropped in conference.
(3) Charter Schools--Signed into law.
(4) School Choice Pilot Program--President vetoed.
(5) Teacher Testing/Merit Pay--President vetoed.
(6) Reading Excellence--Signed into law.
(7)Teacher and Student Safety--President vetoed.
(8) Full Funding of IDEA--Increased Funding by over $500m.
Despite the fierce opposition of our opponents, we will continue our fight to bring the best education possible within the reach of every American
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Today, we are introducing the Educational Opportunities and Excellence Act of 1999 to build on the Successes of the 105th Congress, and to jump start the much needed debate on increasing the ability of our nation's children to obtain a quality education.
The Educational Opportunities and Excellence Act of 1999 is a broad effort to offer new reforms to K-12 education, and provide incentives for families to save for higher education. It is made up of several titles:
Title 1--the Education savings Account Act of 1999--Under this title, parents will have more control over their children's education through IRA-style savings accounts that allow parents to save money tax-free for elementary and secondary education expenses. This legislation allows parents, grandparents, or scholarship sponsors to contribute up to $2,000 (post-tax dollars) a year per child for educational expenses while at public, private, religious or home schools--from kindergarten through high school. Last year, this proposal passed both the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by President Clinton.
Title II--Dollars to the Classroom Act--consolidates over 30 separate education programs and sends the money directly to state and local officials to be used to improve educational achievement and learning. The bill requires that 95% of federal education dollars are spent on classroom activities, rather than Washington based bureaucracies.
Title III--Merit Act--provides for an incentive grant program for States to establish and administer periodic teacher testing and merit pay programs for elementary and secondary school teachers.
Title IV--Additional Funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education--provides additional funding to states to meet the federal mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Title V--K-12 Community Participation Act--amends the IRS code to allow for a tax credit for elementary and secondary school expenses and for charitable contributions to organizations which provide scholarship to attend private schools. The maximum credit allow is up to $200 per person in 1999; $150 in 2000; $200 in 2001; and $250 thereafter.
Title VI--Collegiate Learning and Student Savings--extends tax-free treatment to all accumulations of interests and withdrawals from pre-paid college tuition plans.
With the Educational Opportunities and Excellence Act of 1999, we want to lead the Congress in taking the first steps necessary to improve educational opportunities dramatically for every American child. Our agenda--parental control and involvement, dollars to the classroom, state and local authority, and a return to basic academics--will be fully embraced by parents, teachers and administrators, governors and mayors across the country.
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