THAT'S THE ANALOGY I USED WHEN I WROTE THAT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR
           UTAH SCHOOLS. INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HOW
           IT WORKS, LET US FOCUS ON THE STUDENT AND WHAT HE NEEDS. WE
           WERE ASKED TO COME UP WITH A MISSION STATEMENT FOR EDUCATION AS
           WE DID THAT COMMISSION. THE MISSION STATEMENT WE CAME UP WITH
           TERRIFIED THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF UTAH.

           HE SAID, YOU CAN'T SAY THAT, BECAUSE IF YOU SAY THAT, WE'LL GET
           SUED. WELL, WE WENT AHEAD AND SAID IT ANYWAY AND WHAT WE SAID
           WAS, THE MISSION OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO
           FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN SOCIETY. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO
           EMPOWER STUDENTS TO FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN SOCIETY. NO, NO,
           NO, NO, NO, SAY THE PROFESSIONALS. THE MISSION OF EDUCATION IS
           TO CONSTRUCT A SYSTEM THAT DOES
           

           THE FOLLOWING THING: WE DON'T MEASURE THE SYSTEM; WE MEASURE
           THE ABILITY OF THE STUDENTS TO FUNCTION IN SOCIETY. IF THEY
           CAN'T FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY IN SOCIETY, THEY'RE NOT GETTING A
           DECENT EDUCATION, A RADICAL NOTION. 12 YEARS AGO -- AS I SAY,
           12 YEARS HAVE PASSED AND VERY LITTLE HAS CHANGED. ALL RIGHT,
           THOSE ARE MY CREDENTIALS. THAT'S THE BACKGROUND THAT I HAD
           COMING INTO LISTENING TO THIS DEBATE. AND AS I LISTENED TO THIS

           DEBATE, I HAD SOME VERY, FOR ME, INTERESTING REACTIONS. FIRST,
           FROM OUR FRIENDS ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE OF THE AISLE, WE HAVE
           HAD AN ELOQUENT CONTINUING AND UNRELENTING DEFENSE OF THE
           STATUS QUO. ANY SUGGESTION THAT WE TRY TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT
           IS MET WITH A STONEWALL OF CRITICISM AND FEAR THAT SOMEHOW
           SOMETHING WILL CHANGE. AN UNRELENTING AND OVERWHELMING DEFENSE

           OF THE STATUS QUO HAS BEEN THE UNDERLYING THEME OF THIS ENTIRE
           DEBATE AS FAR AS MY FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE ARE
           CONCERNED. NOW, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, AN OVERWHELMING DEFENSE
           OF THE STATUS QUO IS NOT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR.
           AND SO IF WE GO OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR JUST A MOMENT, WE
           FIND THE VICE PRESIDENT SAYING THAT WE NEED REVOLUTIONARY
           CHANGES IN EDUCATION. THERE IS AN ARTICLE THAT RAN IN THIS

           MORNING'S "WASHINGTON POST" WHICH I WOULD ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT
           TO HAVE APPEAR AT THE END OF MY REMARKS --
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MR. BENNETT: BY GEORGE WILL.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION, SO ORDERED.
           

           MR. BENNETT: HE IS COMMENTING ON THE VICE PRESIDENT'S RECENT
           TALK ON EDUCATION, AND HE QUOTES THE VICE PRESIDENT AS SAYING,
           AND I QUOTE," TODAY I AM PROPOSING A NEW NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO
           BRING REVOLUTIONARY IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SCHOOLS BUILT ON THREE
           BASIC PRINCIPLES. FIRST, I AM PROPOSING A MAJOR NATIONAL
           INVESTMENT TO BRING REVOLUTIONARY IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR SCHOOLS.
           SECOND, I AM PROPOSING A NATIONAL REVOLUTION" AND SO ON --

           CLOSE QUOTE. ACCORDING TO MR. WILL, THE VICE PRESIDENT USED
           "REVOLUTION "REVOLUTION," "REVOLUTIONARY," OR "REVOLUTIONIZE"
           EIGHT TIMES IN HIS SPEECH AND "INVEST," A WORD THAT WE KNOW
           MEANS SPENDING, 14 TIMES. AND, AS MR. WILL CONCLUDES IN HIS
           ARTICLE, HE SAYS, "THE BASIC GORE POSITION IS THAT THE PUBLIC
           SCHOOLS ARE SPLENDID AND, AT THE SAME TIME, DESPERATELY IN NEED

           OF REVOLUTIONARY INVESTMENTS." WELL, I FIND A DISCONNECT
           BETWEEN THE VICE PRESIDENT'S RHETORIC OUT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
           AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING ON THE FLOOR TODAY, BECAUSE ANY ATTEMPT
           ON THE PART OF THE REPUBLICANS TO PRODUCE SOMETHING THAT IS
           DIFFERENT IS AFAKED. ANYTHING WE SAY, LET'S EXPERIMENT WITH, IS
           ATTACKED. AND THE OVERWHELMING DEFENSE OF THE STATUS QUO
           UNDERLIES EVERYTHING THAT OUR FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE

           AISLE ARE SAYING. NOW, FROM THE PROSPECT OF THE POSITION I HAD
           AS CHAIRMAN OF THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMISSION, I WANT TO
           LOOK AT THIS FEARSOME, FRIGHTENING REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL THAT
           WOULD GO INTO SUCH NEW GROUND AS TO SOMEHOW THREATEN THE STATUS
           QUO QUO. IT IS THE MOST TIMID, IT IS THE MOST SMALL, TINY,

           INCREMENTAL KIND OF REVOLUTION THAT I'VE EVER SEEN. WE ARE --
           THE BILL THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE PUTTING FORWARD IS, TO PUT A
           NUMBER ON IT, SOMETHING LIKE 98 STATUS QUO. -- 98% STATUS QUO.
           IT FUNDS THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE NOW. AND IT FUNDS THEM
           GENEROUSLY. IT SUPPORTS THE PROGRAMS WE HAVE NOW, AND IT
           SUPPORTS THEM SOLIDLY. BUT IT SAYS, KIND OF LIKE PUTTING THE
           SMALLEST TOE AT THE VERY EDGE OF THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE BODY OF

           WATER, COULDN'T WE JUST TRY A COUPLE OF THINGS?
           COULDN'T WE GIVE TEN STATES THE CHANCE IF THEY WANT TO, NO
           MANDATES, NO REQUIREMENTS, JUST TEN STATES THE CHANCE IF THEY
           MIGHT WANT TO TO TRY SOMETHING OUT?
           AND IN OTHER AREA, COULDN'T WE JUST -- 15 STATES. BOY, THAT'S
           BOLD AND REVOLUTIONARY AND GOING TO UPSET THE WHOLE WORLD. 15
           STATES. IF THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO MIGHT BE ABLE TO A FEW

           THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. THESE ARE THE THREATENING KINDS OF
           REPUBLICAN PROPOSALS THAT ARE COMING ALONG THAT ARE CAUTION OUR
           FRIENDS TO BE SO EXCITED ABOUT ANYTHING THAT MIGHT IN ANY WAY
           UPSET THE STATUS QUO. IF A STATE FINDS THAT THE REPUBLICAN
           PROPOSAL IS SO REVOLUTIONARY AND THREATENING THAT IT WILL
           DESTROY THE STATE'S ABILITY TO DELIVER EDUCATION TO ITS
           CHILDREN, THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE TO ACCEPT IT IT. THERE IS NO
           MANDATE IN THIS BILL AT ALL THAT SAYS THAT ANY STATE HAS TO DO

           ANY OF THE THINGS WE ARE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO. NO,
           THIS IS JUST THE FIRST CONTINUE KNEE STEPS, FROM MY POSITION AS
           CHAIRMAN OF THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMISSION, I WOULD LOOK AT
           THE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL AND SAY, THIS IS TIMID. THIS IS NOT
           NEARLY WHAT IS NEEDED. BUT I COME HERE AND DISCOVER THAT IT IS
           DENOUNCED AS SOMEHOW SO THREATENING THAT IT'S GOING TO BRING
           DOWN THE ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL EDIFICE OF THE UNITED STATES. BUT I

           REPEAT, MR. PRESIDENT, AT THE SAME TIME THAT KIND OF ATTACK ON
           THE REPUBLICAN WILLINGNESS TO INNOVATE AND TO EVEN ALLOW STATES
           TO TRY A FEW THINGS, AT THE SAME TIME THAT KIND OF ATTACK IS
           GOING ON, THE VICE PRESIDENT IS GOING UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY
           DEMANDING REVOLUTIONARY IMPROVEMENTS WITH MAJOR INVESTMENTS. I
           WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THOSE REVOLUTIONARY IMPROVEMENTS ARE. I
           WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS BILL WHAT CHANGES IN

           THE STATUS QUO, IN REVOLUTIONARY FASHION, THE VICE PRESIDENT
           HAS IN MIND. YOU GET TO THE DETAILS AND THE ONLY REVOLUTION
           THAT HE'S CALLING FOR IS SPENDING MORE MONEY ON PROGRAMS THAT
           ALREADY EXIST. NOW, LET'S TAKE A LOOK FOR JUST A MINUTE AT SOME
           PAST HISTORY. I WANT TO READ AN EXCERPT FROM "THE WASHINGTON
           POST" TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IT

           SAYS -- AND I QUOTE -- "ALARMED BY THE CRISES CONFRONTING
           WASHINGTON YOUTH, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS IS URGING
           SWEEPING CHANGES IN D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS." UNQUOTE. THAT DOESN'T
           SOUND LIKE THE STATUS QUO IS SO WONDERFUL. AND ANOTHER -- "A
           NEW CONSUMER GUIDE TO THE NATION'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM RANKS
           ONLY TWO URBAN SYSTEMS LOWER THAN THE D.C. SCHOOLS." UNQUOTE.
           AGAIN, STATUS QUO IS NOT SO WONDERFUL. THE INTERESTING THING
           ABOUT THESE QUOTES FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST," MR. PRESIDENT,

           IS THAT THEY APPEARED THERE IN 1988. 12 YEARS AGO. FOR 12 YEARS
           REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BRING ABOUT SOME CHANGES IN THE
           D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'VE STOOD ON THIS FLOOR AND DEBATED THIS
           ISSUE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE D.C. APPROPRIATIONS BILL. EVERY
           TIME WE TRY TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN D.C., WE ARE TOLD,
           NO, WE CAN'T UPSET THE STATUTE US QUO. -- THE STATUS QUO.
           HERE'S ANOTHER QUOTE. -- FROM "THE WASHINGTON POST." "THE
           MALAISE THAT INFECTS THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

           RUNS DEEP. THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN EVERY PHASE OF THE EDUCATIONAL
           PROCESS. THERE ARE SCHOOL SYSTEM EMPLOYEES WHO DISPLAY NO
           ADVANCEMENT IN THE EDUCATION OF STUDENTS ININSTRUCTION IS
           INCONSISTENT. IN MANY SCHOOLS, TEST RESULTS HAVE NOT BEEN
           SHARED. THE TEACHER APPRAISEAL PROCESS HAS BEEN A JOKE. IN THE
           1988-1989 SCHOOL YEAR, NOT ONE TEACHER RECEIVED A CONDITIONAL

           OR UNSATISFACTORY RATING. ON THE AVERAGES, 22% OF THE TEACHERS
           RECEIVED NO EVALUATION AT ALL WHILE SOME EXCELLENT TEACHING WAS
           OBEDS, THE AUDIT SAID, THE PREDOMINANT CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
           INVOLVED STUDENTS COPYING EXERCISES AND DIRECTIONS FROM BOOKS
           WHILE TEACHERS GRADED PAPERS AT THEIR DESKS." CLOSE QUOTE. THIS
           APPEARED IN "THE WASHINGTON POST" IN 1992. SOME FOUR YEARS
           AFTER THE FIRST ARTICLES APPEARED IN "THE WASHINGTON POST."

           WHAT REVOLUTIONARY CNGES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT TO TRY TO GET
           HERE?
           EVERY TIME THE REPUBLICANS COME TO THE FLOOR AND ASK FOR AN
           INCREMENTAL KIND OF CHANGE, WE ARE TOLD, NO, YOU'RE UNDERMINING
           THE CONFIDENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLSES. WELL, FOR OVER A DOZEN
           YEARS NOW, IN AT LEAST THE NATION'S SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHERE WE
           HAVE SOME DEGREE OF INFLUENCE, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS
           FAILED THE CHILDREN OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO, MR. PRESIDENT,

           AS I LISTEN TO THIS DEBATE AND RELIVE MY MEMORY -- MY
           EXPERIENCES FROM MEMORY AS BEING CHAIRMAN OF THE STRATEGIC
           PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, I
           REALIZE HOW TESTIMONY IMID PUBLIC -- HOW TIMID PUBLIC
           POLICY-MAKERS REALLY ARE SO ANXIOUS THEY ARE TO TALK ABOUT
           REVOLUTIONARY IMPROVEMENTS WHEN THEY'RE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND
           HOW ANXIOUS THEY ARE TO STIFLE ANY ATTEMPT TO BRING TO PASS ANY

           SORT OF REVOLUTION WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A
           POLICY DECISION. MR. PRESIDENT, WE MUST RECOGNIZE, AS I SAID
           BEFORE, THIS BILL AS WHAT IT IS. THE UNDERLYING BILL HERE IS
           NOT A REVOLUTIONARY, BOLD ATTACK ON THE STATUS QUO. I WISH IT
           WERE. I THINK THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE
           DONE. THIS IS JUST THE MOST TIM MIDKIND OF PROBING INTO -- THIS
           IS JUST THE MOST TIMID KIND OF PROBING INTO POSSIBILITIES AND

           YET EVEN THAT IS TOO MUCH. EVEN THAT IS TOO FEARFUL FOR THOSE
           DEFENDERS OF THE STATUS QUO. I GO BACK TO MY ORIGINALALAL IN
           GEE. WHEN IT WAS FIRST SUGGESTED -- I GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL
           ANALOGY. WHEN IT WAS FIRST SUGGESTED AT GENERAL MOAT THEIRS
           THEY MIGHT TRY TO GO BACK TO SMALLER CARS, WHEN IT WAS
           ANNOUNCED THAT THEY MIGHT TRY TO GO AFTER TOY YO TARX THERE WAS

           A MANTRA, "SMALL CARS MEAN SMALL PROFITS." IT WAS REREPEATED
           OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. AND BY REPEATING THAT MANTRA TO
           THEMSELVES, THESE AUTO EXECUTIVES CONVINCED THEMSELVES THAT THE
           STATUS QUO WAS JUST FINE AND THEY WATCHED THE JAPANESE COME
           INTO THIS COUNTRY AND TAKE MARKET SHARE AWAY FROM THEM TO A
           DEGREE THAT, TO SOME EXTENT, THREATENED THEIR COMPINS. IT WAS
           ONLY AFTER THE MARKETPLACE TOLD THEM THAT THEY SHOULD BE
           FOCUSING ON THE DRIVER AND WHAT THE DRIVER WANTED, RATHER THAN

           ON THEIR OWN SYSTEMS AND WHAT THEY WERE COMFORTABLE PRODUCING,
           THAT THEY FINALLY BEGAN TO COMPETE IN THE WORLD MARKETPLACE FOR
           AUTOMOBILES AND BEGAN TO PRODUCE THE KINDS OF CARS AMERICANS
           WANTED TO DRIVE. AND NOW AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS ARE COMPETITIVE
           AND WE DRIVE AMERICAN CARS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE
           WELL-BUILT, THEY ARE GOOD FUEL ECONOMY AND THEY GIVE US THE
           VALUE FOR THE MONEY. AND UNDERSTANDING THAT FRANKLY, 15 WHO ARE

           20 YEARS AGO AMERICANS DIDN'T HAVE. WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THAT SAME
           UNDERSTANDING WITH RESPECT TO EDUCATION. INSTEAD OF BEING SO
           OVERWHELMINGLY CONCERNED WITH THE SYSTEM AND HOW DO WE TWEAK
           THE SYSTEM AND HOW DO WE DEFEND THE SYSTEM AND THIS IS THE WAY
           WE TEACH AND, BY GEORGE, THE STUDENTS GOT TO SIT THERE AND TAKE
           IT, WHY CAN'T WE SAY, WHAT DO THE STUDENTS NEED TO FUNCTION
{END: 2000/05/04 TIME: 12-15 , Thu.  106TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}