Speech #1140040001

This bill constitutes the Federal Government throwing up its arms and letting States define success downward to make themselves look good while leaving more students behind. This problem is compounded by another amendment that was not even previously discussed that has now been allowed under this rule. namely. the Salmon amendment. 129. which is universally opposed by civil rights groups from the NAACP to La Raza to the Urban League to LULAC to the Education Trust. The Salmon amendment assumes that disadvantaged students arent capable of high achievement. perpetuating low expectations that are projected on students of color. poor students. immigrant students. students with disabilities. and others. This amendment effectively gives in to those political pressures which we all feel that work against disadvantaged students. that work against them at the district level because often their parents are not enfranchised members of the community or voting in school board races or serving on the board that work against them at the State level because they are up against the special interests and. yes. work against them here even in Washington. This body needs to stand up for disadvantaged communities. needs to stand up for African Americans. Latinos. immigrant communities. those students with disabilities and ensure that any deficiency in the quality of instruction for disadvantaged communities is not swept under the rug as the Salmon amendment would do. I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reject the Salmon amendment. While No Child Left Behind certainly had its flaws. it did move us forward in continuing to serve lowincome and minority students.