Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about the conference report on H.R. 1, the Leave No Child Behind Act. I want to commend Ranking Democrat George Miller, Chairman John Boehner and Congressmen Dale Kildee and Mike Castle for their leadership over the past many months on this most important issue.

As the only Member of the United State Congress who has actually run a state school system, I have a unique perspective on federal support for public education. Perhaps the most important provisions of this legislation are those that are not contained in this conference report. There are no vouchers to siphon public dollars to private schools. There are no irresponsible block grants like those that have been proposed before in this Chamber. There is no effort to close the U.S. Education Department by the Republican Leadership. And there are no massive cuts to public education like those we have defeated time and again in this body. Those are very significant accomplishments, and I especially commend my Democratic colleagues for maintaining our party's historic commitment to quality public education for all children.

As the former Superintendent of North Carolina's public schools, I know firsthand what it takes to achieve real results in academic improvement. It takes setting high standards and ensuring accountability. But most importantly, it takes a commitment to ensure that all of our children have quality educational opportunities to achieve the goal of "no child left behind."

Although this bill falls short of fulfilling our commitment to fund the federal mandate on special education, I am pleased that this conference report takes significant steps toward substantial improvement in education. The bill targets federal funds toward the neediest students to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers and between minority and non-minority students. The conference report strengthens teacher training so that our school teachers are qualified to teach in their subject matter. It provides new resources for mentoring, training, salary enhancement and other improvements that give teachers the resources they need to do their very important jobs.

For the first time in federal law, this bill will require that parents are clearly informed about the quality of their children's education. And it makes a significant new commitment to bilingual and immigrant education.

I am disappointed that the conferees did not include the Wamp-Etheridge amendment to provide $50 million in dedicated funding for character education. The conference report instead includes character education in the Secretary's discretionary Fund for the Improvement of Education, and I call on the Secretary to fully fund character education, which we have pioneered in North Carolina to strengthen values-based lessons for our children.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, this country faces several critical educational challenges beyond the scope of this legislation. First, we must take action to relieve the crisis of the lack of adequate school facilities in this country. In my district, our schools are bursting at the seams, and too many children are stuffed into overcrowded classrooms or second rate trailers. We must pass school construction legislation to help build new schools for our children. We must invest in science and math to ensure America's global economic leadership in the 21st century. We must increase aid for college so middle class families have the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. We have so many educational challenges ahead of us that we must treat this bill as the very beginning of our commitment to improving education and not the end of the process.

In conclusion, this legislation will only work if we back up its requirements with the resources to get the job done. Tough reform without resources simply amounts to cruelty to our children. I understand that the appropriations bill nearing completion contains enhanced education resources for next year. We still must do much more to live up to the federal commitment under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and I will be working during next year's reform of that statute to fulfill that commit. My biggest concern is that in the years to come, especially when the full effects of this year's massive tax bill are felt, Congress will neglect to provide the necessary resources to fulfill the promises of H.R. 1. I will fight every step of the way to make sure that does not happen.

Mr. Speaker, this bill represents a hopeful first step toward better schools for all children in America. I will vote to pass the conference report on H.R. 1, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

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