Senator Carper Co-Sponsors Three R’s Education Bill, Bill Reflects Carper’s Early Call for Expanded Public School Choice

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Tom Carper today announced that he will co-sponsor the "Three R" education proposal which invests in education reform and insists on results. The comprehensive bill includes the expansion of public school choice and charter schools that Carper called for last week. Sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh and members of the New Democrat Coalition, the bill seeks to Reinvest in our public education system, Reinvent the federal education system, and live up to our Responsibility to educational opportunity. "This bill sends a strong signal to the new administration that we can avoid a divisive and destructive fight over vouchers without abandoning the propositions central to our shared ideal that no child should be left trapped in a failing school," Carper said. "I have seen this model of high standards, greater competition and choice, and more flexibility in return for tougher accountability work in my state of Delaware." In the first bill he introduced as a Senator, Tom Carper called for the expansion of charter schools and public school choice to cover every child trapped in a failing school. The "Three R" bill includes Carper’s call for $200 million a year in competitive grant money to increase public school choice; his demand for $200 million in funding to limit start-up costs for new charter schools; and reaffirms that charter schools are public schools. The "3 R’s" bill also increases federal funding for education by at least $35 billion over the next five years, consolidates a myriad of educational programs into five goal-oriented titles, increases accountability standards for federal money, and requires states to set goals to raise academic achievement, level the playing field for students trapped in failing schools, and expand teacher training.