Carper Praises Landmark Legislation, Today Delaware Became a Model for the Nation

WILMINGTON, DE – President George Bush signed a bill into law today that made Delaware a model for the nation. Senator Tom Carper praised the initiatives included in the landmark education bill. “With the passage of this landmark legislation, Delaware ‘s bipartisan work to raise student achievement has become the model for education reform nationwide,” Carper said. “Last December, then-Governor Bush invited me to Texas to start building a bipartisan education bill. I told him that what we did in Delaware should be the model for the nation. With this bill, it now largely is. Tough standards, greater accountability, public school choice and help for charter schools are Delaware hallmarks. Delawareans should be proud that the work they accomplished over the last decade will now be reflected nationally.” In exchange for $26 billion dollars in increased federal aid, schools will be held more accountable and face strict new testing standards under the “No Child Left Behind Act”. An important part of the final bill is Carper’s “Charter Schools and Choice (Empowering Parents) Act,” which was the first legislation he introduced in the Senate. It authorizes $350 million to expand public school choice and encourage the growth of charter schools. “Parents need an alternative if their children are trapped in failing schools. Because Republicans and Democrats worked together, soon more will have that option. This worked because we worked together,” Carper said. “We are asking schools do to more for their students, but we are giving them more help to do it. I am proud of our ability to bring to Delaware’s successes into the national spotlight.”