“President Bush deserves great credit for having the courage to call for these bipartisan reforms, and to follow through with his commitment after taking office. The bipartisan manner in which Republicans and Democrats worked together to make these reforms happen is a credit to the President’s leadership, and a reminder of what can be accomplished in Congress when we focus on what’s best for our country.

     “If properly implemented, these reforms will mean new options in 2002 for students in thousands of chronically-failing schools. They will empower parents, voters, and taxpayers with data about the education our children are receiving. They will give teachers and local school leaders new tools and new flexibility to meet higher expectations. They will encourage the creation of new charter schools across the nation that challenge the status quo and give students new chances to learn.

     “With completion of this bipartisan bill, we’ve taken some important steps toward full parental choice in education. Parents in low-income communities will immediately have new choices and new options for their children’s education, and these options will make a difference for many. But the drive for equal educational opportunity in America must continue until all parents of all incomes can choose the best available school for their children - public, private, or otherwise.”

     “Completion of this reform legislation clears the way for congressional action on other education priorities, including reform and reauthorization of special education; reform of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education Research and Improvement (OERI); and, of course, efforts to further expand true parental choice in education. I am hopeful and confident we will forge ahead on these projects in the same bipartisan spirit that has marked this process this year.”