Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may speak as in morning business for up to 15 minutes.

Mr. President, it has been almost 6 years since I was sworn in as Minnesota's 33rd U.S. Senator with my friend and colleague Paul Wellstone at my side. I began my term hopeful and optimistic. The Senate was evenly divided, with 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, and President-elect George W. Bush was promising to change the tone in Washington with a new era of bipartisan cooperation.

Our country enjoyed peace and relative prosperity. Outgoing President Bill Clinton, a Republican-controlled Congress, and over 6 years of economic expansion had combined to create the first annual surpluses in the Federal Government's on-budget account in 39 years, and they were projected by OMB to continue for at least the next decade.

The Social Security trust fund's annual surpluses were going to be saved in a lockbox for the upcoming retirements of a large baby boom generation. There was even discussion of paying down the national debt to further strengthen our financial position. Yet we still would be able to increase funding for such essential needs as public education, affordable health care, seniors' drug coverage, and infrastructure improvements.

Just 6 years later, our country's condition has changed drastically, and mostly for the worse. We are mired in a disastrous war in Iraq despite the heroic efforts and sacrifices by our Armed Forces. The fiscal integrity of the Federal budget has been destroyed, with record- high annual deficits continuing, despite budget gimmickry and a modest economic recovery. The Federal tax base has been decimated by huge tax giveaways to the rich and superrich that will burden our children and grandchildren. The Social Security trust fund's surpluses have been spent every year on what the nonpartisan Concord Coalition has called ``the most reckless fiscal policy'' in our Nation's history.

The Bible says if the leaders don't lead, the people perish. Unfortunately, the Bush administration and the Republican majority in Congress have not led this country well, and our people are suffering the consequences: lost jobs, businesses, and farms; lost incomes, standards of living, and security; and lost loved ones killed or maimed in Iraq.

We have lost the national unity which followed the terrible atrocities of September 11, 2001, and the Bush administration has lost the world's support which they had after that awful attack. The President's decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, the absence of weapons of mass destruction that had been the initial justification for that invasion, and his administration's disastrous mismanagement of Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein has squandered most of our national unity and international goodwill.

The Congressional Record will show that I opposed those failed policies and supported other and better alternatives. I was 1 of 23 Senators to vote against the Iraq war resolution. I opposed the large tax giveaways to the rich and superrich. In fact, during my 6 years in the Senate, I voted 29 times to raise my own taxes. Why? Because our country needs those tax revenues, and I can darn well afford to pay my fair share of them, as can all other Americans with my good fortune.

I tried seven times unsuccessfully to get the Senate to honor its 30- year promise to school districts and schoolchildren and fully fund special education. The Senate did pass my ``Taste of Our Own Medicine'' amendment limiting Members of Congress's prescription drug coverage to what they provided to senior citizens through Medicare. However, my amendment was discarded by the House-Senate conference committee.

It has pained me deeply to see the Senate's majority lead our country into what I consider the wrong direction. Our Nation's founding principle was ``we the people,'' and it remains so today. If we are not always united by the common cause, we are bound together by a shared destiny. If the laws this Senate passes are successful, ``we the people'' benefit together. If those laws fail, we suffer together. Some Americans will suffer more than others as unfair victims of social and economic injustices, but ultimately all Americans cannot escape our common national fate. United we stand and succeed; divided we fall and fail. I regretfully believe that during my Senate term this administration and its congressional followers have caused too many divisions, declines, and failures.

Thus, I leave the Senate with strong feelings of frustration and disappointment. I have been unable to pass most of what I believe was most important to Minnesota, to our country, and to the world. I remain convinced that those policies would improve the lives of most Americans far better than what the majority here enacted.

A cornerstone of democracy, which I honor, is that the majority prevails. Winning, however, does not make them right and, unfortunately, it does not make them wise. In those decisions with which I have disagreed, time will tell us and the American people who was right and who was wise.

I do want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for the privilege to serve these last 6 years with them. I am grateful for the friendships I have made, which I hope will continue after my departure.

I thank my excellent staff, those here in Washington and those in Minnesota, for their tremendous dedication and many hours of hard work. Most of the successes I have enjoyed here have been the result of their dedication and their abilities, and I thank them again for their support.

I especially want to thank the people of Minnesota who gave me this extraordinary opportunity to serve them in the Senate. Our democracy is, through all of human history, throughout the entire world, the most advanced and successful form of self-governance that human beings have ever devised. It is far from perfect, but it is far better than anything else. We who are elected as its leaders and its stewards have sacred duties to uphold its principles, to elevate its policies, and to improve its practices before we bequeath them to our successors. I have done my very best to fulfill those duties before I pass them on to my outstanding successor, Senator-elect Amy Klobuchar. We in the Senate and in the House of Representatives also have the duty to serve the best interests of all Americans. To be successful and sustainable, our Government must improve the lives of all of our citizens.

Unfortunately, here in Washington, the people who already have the most keep getting more than anyone else. The excessive influences of their money and political power on the Federal Government are serious threats to our democracy. They skew decisions and laws in favor of the rich and powerful, often at the expense of other Americans: the hard- working people who pay their taxes and hope their elected representatives will look out for them in Washington. It isn't too much for them to expect. However, it is too often more than they are getting.

They are told repeatedly that new laws and policies will improve their lives. Yet their real lives become worse, not better. They experience a deep disconnect between what they are told will happen and what is actually happening to them.

In attempts to hide those disparities, the words used in Washington are often carefully selected by very clever people in order to disguise reality rather than to describe it. For example, legislation that stripped many Americans of their bankruptcy protections for major medical expenses was named the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act. Another bill that would have increased industrial pollution was entitled the Clear Skies Act. No Child Left Behind has knowingly underfunded Head Start, title I, and special education, which has left millions of schoolchildren behind.

These discrepancies and the disparities they create will be even more destructive to the American people's trust in their Government in the years ahead. That is because the choices facing Congress will become even more difficult as the needs of an aging population grow but revenues do not. In

about a decade, the Social Security trust fund's large annual surpluses will be replaced by deficits, and its IOUs from the general fund will add to that fund's own chronic deficits. If combined with today's enormous and unsustainable balance of trade deficits and a continuing erosion of our manufacturing job base, the consequences could be catastrophic.

That somber forecast has replaced my hope and optimism of 6 years ago to my deep regret. Following the wisdom of ``speak truth to power,'' I present my truth to the world's most powerful legislative body, the U.S. Senate, and one of the two institutions that must act to keep our Nation strong. I hope that you will. I will pray for your wisdom to discern what is right, for your courage to act accordingly, and for your success on behalf of our great Nation and the world.

Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I wish honor Woodbury Senior High School, in Woodbury, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Woodbury Senior High School is truly a model of educational success. This large, suburban high school has consistently ranked above the national and State averages in ACT test scores and Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores and has been designated as a five-star school in reading and math by the Minnesota Department of Education for 2 years in a row. Schools receiving the five-star status are few and far between: Last year, 11 schools in the Twin Cities metropolitan area qualified for this status; this year, only 8 metro-area schools qualified. These scores show that top students continue to grow academically and also that all students continue to perform well above expectations.

Success at Woodbury High does not occur without the hard work and dedication of all students and staff. In addition to their classroom responsibilities, the teaching staff at Woodbury High are engaged in professional learning communities. Teachers meet in groups each week to study student learning and compare test scores and other objective data to determine areas of need. Then each group discusses best practices for teaching, in order to improve all students' learning. These professional learning communities have resulted in better course grades, as well as improved test scores on state and national measures of student proficiency.

Course work calls for high standards of performance at all levels. For advanced learners, Woodbury High offers advanced placement classes in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. The staff is working to develop more AP classes to meet students' needs. Each year, more than 250 AP tests are given in the school, with better than 75 percent of these students qualifying for college credit. This rigor translates into ACT scores above the State and national averages. Last year, Woodbury High students averaged a composite score of 23.5 on the ACT test. Students requiring more academic attention may enter the Program for Success in grades 10, 11, and 12 in order to earn credit for on-the-job experience along with academic credits. These classes are kept small and are taught by teachers who take personal responsibility for their students' success.

Woodbury High is working to fulfill the District goal of giving all students an opportunity for excellence. With championship athletic teams and arts programs generating high-quality productions, students are stretched to reach their potential inside and outside the classroom. The Woodbury High girls soccer team has won the State championship during 3 of the past 4 years. The adapted soccer team and girls basketball team have also won State championships during the past several years. Excellence in education is the daily goal of teachers, administrators, and students at Woodbury High School.

Much of the credit for Woodbury Senior High School's success belongs to its principal, Linda Plante, and the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Woodbury Senior High School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Woodbury Senior High School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Woodbury Senior High School in Woodbury for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my deep distress about the human rights violations reportedly committed in the Philippines. The U.S. Department of State's 2005 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in the Philippines, released in March 2006, is a very troubling account and, at times, a cynical report on the current state of Philippine human rights problems. The Report cites the Philippine National Police as the worst abuser of human rights in the country, and it describes numerous violations, including extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and physical abuse of suspects and detainees. It cites instances of torture, arbitrary arrests, trafficking of persons, and harassment of human rights personnel and political activists.

In light of the report's troubling findings, I respectfully urge my colleagues to review this document and recognize the significance of these extremely serious transgressions.

Mr. President, today I honor Shirley Hills Primary School, in Mound, Minnesota, which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Shirley Hills Primary School is truly a model of educational success. The teaching staff believes wholeheartedly that all children can succeed, a philosophy that has led to performance rates that are among the best in the State. The learning environment values strong character in addition to academic achievement. In addition, the vibrant school community offers a preschool program, to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten.

Shirley Hills Primary School is particularly proud of its designation as a Minnesota five-star school, recognized for excellence by the Minnesota Department of Education. The school recently received the Parent Involvement School of Excellence Award from the National PTA, recognizing its strong partnership with parents. The Westonka School District which includes Shirley Hills Primary School has also earned the What Parents Want Award, given by SchoolMatch, the Nation's largest school-selection consulting firm. The award was earned by fewer than 15 percent of the Nation's public school districts. The Westonka District was also 1 of 22 Minnesota school districts named academic outperformers by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services.

Shirley Hills Primary fosters the development of strong character by recognizing children for demonstrating responsibility, respect, and honesty. An all-school assembly every month includes the presentation of a trophy, given successively in due course to a child who has demonstrated one of these qualities. Shirley Hills pupils know that good character is lived out, in all areas of life; it is how they choose to live, not just how they behave in school.

In the belief that children can succeed better in the global economy when knowledgeable about other languages and cultures, Shirley Hills offers before- and after-school Spanish classes for kindergarten through fourth grade. The school district is also pursuing a secondary- level educational exchange program with China.

Shirley Hills' staff encourages families to expect great test scores but not to settle for that alone. The school proudly has high expectations for achievement and behavior, and just as proudly provides educational experiences that take into account the whole child. Teachers know each child's strengths and growth areas, and they work together with parents to help every child grow as a learner, as well as a valued human being.

Much of the credit for Shirley Hills Primary School's success belongs to its principal, Ann Swanson, and the dedicated teachers. The pupils and staff at Shirley Hills Primary School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where pupils can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and children at Shirley Hills Primary School should be very proud of their accomplishments!

I congratulate Shirley Hills Primary School in Mound for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Lake Marion Elementary School, in Lakeville, MN, which recently earned an Award for Excellence

in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Lake Marion Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. Three factors that make the school particularly outstanding include: a high level of involvement by parents, innovative programs, and academic achievement.

Lake Marion Elementary School takes great pride in involving parents in their children's school experiences. Lake Marion's Parent Teacher Organization has provided volunteer and financial support for the Artist of the Month program, for which parent volunteers teach a class about an artist and his/her works; the Junior Great Books program; the Lake Marion Yearbook, which has set the standard for elementary school yearbooks; the fifth-grade trip to Camp Saint Croix Environment Camp; the school directory; Family Fun Night; cultural awareness programming; mini-grants for selected staff projects; and field trip transportation costs.

Lake Marion Elementary provides the children innovative programming outside the school day. Targeted Services offers additional reading and math support in classes which run before school and are very popular with the children and their families. Additional programs include before- and after-school athletics, art, and world languages.

The school's many successes are reflected in the pupils' outstanding academic accomplishments. Lake Marion Elementary School's Math Masters Teams have finished first two times, second four times, and third five times in Regional Math Masters competitions. In addition, Lake Marion Elementary has received a five-star rating from the Minnesota Department of Education in reading and math every year since the inception of the Minnesota School Report Card system.

Much of the credit for Lake Marion Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, John W. Braun, and the dedicated teachers. The pupils and staff at Lake Marion Elementary School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where pupils can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and children at Lake Marion Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Lake Marion Elementary School in Lakeville for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Orchard Lake Elementary School, in Lakeville, MN, which recently earned an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Orchard Lake Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. The staff at OLE, always seeking to improve professionally, value in-service days and use this time to study new and innovative teaching techniques. Every year the school does a book study that addresses ways to increase achievement for students. The teaching staff takes on new challenges, studies best-practice ideas, has conversations across grade levels, offers mutual support, and applies solutions.

In the spring of 2004, Orchard Lake Elementary was the first school in Minnesota to receive the Tekne Award for Innovations in Teaching. Mark Deming, the media specialist, had pupils in grades 5 and 6 arrive before school and called them the ``Morning Crew.'' The children learned to design segments of school news, interview classmates and staff, and videotape and edit productions so that they could produce the morning announcements. In addition, they created their own music using the Garage Band program on the school computers. The morning announcements were shown over the school's media system and produced exclusively by children for all classrooms to enjoy. This system is still in place for use by fourth- and fifth-graders.

Orchard Lake Elementary teachers work with parents as partners in education. Five years ago, when space became a concern, the PTO purchased a portable computer lab. Last year, the PTO purchased 14 new computers and has entered Phase 2 of purchasing all new computers for the lab classroom. The PTO recently held a fund-raiser to purchase new playground equipment. OLE had a 99 percent parent-participation rate at parent-teacher conferences. The school has a gifted education program, as well as a targeted services program, which offers extra instruction in reading and math for struggling students. Involved parents support their children by working together with teachers, who value the parents' active contributions.

Orchard Lake Elementary provides a safe and nurturing environment, both educationally and emotionally. Teachers build relationships with pupils through a community circle and discussions of life skills. The children take part in student council, art shows, music concerts, morning announcements, band, and academic choice in the classroom.

Orchard Lake Elementary School was recognized by the State Department of Education as a five-star school in both math and reading. This distinction is particularly impressive, considering that Orchard Lake, which has a high concentration of low-income students, is a Title 1 school.

Much of the credit for Orchard Lake Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Karen Roos, and the dedicated teachers. The pupils and staff at Orchard Lake Elementary School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where pupils can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and children at Orchard Lake Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments!

I congratulate Orchard Lake Elementary School in Lakeville for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Mississippi Heights Elementary School, in Sauk Rapids, MN, which will soon earn an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Mississippi Heights Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. The school begins each school day by welcoming all staff and pupils in the gym with a unique ``Lift Off'' program, which is led by the children and is designed to recognize birthdays, make announcements, and strengthen the school's strong sense of community. Another special characteristic of Lift Off is its buddy system, which matches each child in the primary classes with a buddy from the intermediate classes to act as a mentor. The buddies sit together at Lift Off and read to each other before the program begins.

Mississippi Heights is dedicated to a successful literacy initiative, whose goals are: implementation of a balanced literacy program that will include independent shared, guided reading, writing, and read- alouds throughout the day; students' demonstration of individual improvement in reading levels; reading and writing throughout the day which aims toward raising RIGBY and Guided Reading levels for each student; and daily reading aloud by teachers, with 5,000 read-aloud books as a building goal.

Teachers at Mississippi Heights have made reading and writing a top priority, and it shows in their enthusiasm and passion in the classroom. The students' reading and writing scores have improved: More than 30 percent of the students scored in the top level of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in 2006, and the school earned four stars from the Minnesota Department of Education in reading this year.

Much of the credit for Mississippi Heights Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Jean Clark, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Mississippi Heights Elementary School understand that in order to be successful a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Mississippi Heights Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Mississippi Heights Elementary School in Sauk Rapids for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Nevis Public School, in Nevis, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Nevis Public School is truly a model of educational success. It is a unique

school that utilizes the strengths of the teachers, community, and rural setting, as well as educational opportunities in the Twin Cities and elsewhere to provide its students with an exemplary learning environment.

The school's rural setting and connection to the local community offer many exceptional learning benefits for the students. The school is adjacent to an 80-acre school forest, which is often the classroom for the forest management class, while local rivers serve as the classroom for the aquatic management class. Each Earth Day, students plant trees in the school forest and throughout the community. Fourth- graders attend an annual Agriculture in the Classroom presentation, and sixth-graders learn about lakes and aquatic management at the Freshwater Festival.

The school is committed to a well-rounded education for its students and makes a strong effort to expose them to learning opportunities outside of the community, as well. Students have gone on ecological trips to Russia and Peru; the band and choir have traveled to Chicago; and students are given a variety of opportunities to travel to the Twin Cities for theatrical, sporting, and educational events. Students in the art program have been selected to display their work at the State capitol; and, for the past 3 years, Nevis School students have earned scholarships to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

In 2006, Nevis School was recognized as an ``outperformer'' by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services. Nevis School was one out of 22 schools in Minnesota to be recognized for having significantly higher percentages of students who scored proficient or above on State reading and math tests than other Minnesota school districts with similar levels of student poverty.

Much of the credit for Nevis Public School's success belongs to its principal, Jodi Sandmeyer, and the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Nevis Public School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Nevis Public School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Nevis Public School in Nevis for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Trailview School, in Mora, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Trailview School is truly a model of educational success. The school has always had lofty expectations for the students. The highly qualified staff provides a challenging and enriching curriculum that encourages student success. The personnel at Trailview go above and beyond to connect with students by providing a variety of afterschool enrichment programs. Respect for others and school pride are evident throughout the school.

Trailview School's afterschool programs were all suggested by the students and significantly enrich the students' learning experience. Some of the most popular programs are cake decorating, architectural drafting, Spanish, book club, chess club, Yu-Gi-Oh card club, quilt making, nutritious snacks, junior master gardener's club, and scrapbooking. There are also a variety of supplementary and enrichment programs offered during the day.

The Trailview School and its staff have received a variety of awards in recognition of the school's exceptional learning environment. In 2002, Trailview School received the Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association School of Excellence award. In 2003, Principal Wendie Anderson was nominated to the Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education by the local Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency committee, and she received the honor of being named ``Minnesota's Leading School Administrator in Arts Education.'' In 2004, she was named ``MESPA's Minnesota National Distinguished Principal.'' Trailview School has also been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education as a five-star school in reading in 2003 and 2004, and as a four-star school in reading in 2005.

Much of the credit for Trailview School's success belongs to its principal, Wendie Anderson, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Trailview School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Trailview School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Trailview School in Mora for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Lancaster Public School, in Lancaster, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Lancaster Public School is truly a model of educational success. Members of the staff, who understand that not all children learn the same way or at the same rate but that all children are capable of learning, work hard to personalize Lancaster's learning environment to ensure that every student's educational needs are met. To achieve this goal, the staff uses a variety of instructional strategies to accommodate individual learning styles. The result is a creative learning environment that is flexible, innovative, and highly successful.

Lancaster Public School has been recognized by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services as a district that outperformed demographically similar school districts in reading and math proficiency for 4 the past 4 school years. Lancaster Public School is 1 of only 10 school districts in Minnesota that have attained this status. This achievement is particularly impressive because Lancaster is the smallest school in the group, with only 212 students in grades kindergarten through grade 12, and the most economically disadvantaged with 59.9 percent of the students qualifying for free and reduced lunch.

Lancaster Public School District has been recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education for making adequate yearly progress for the past 3 years. The school's high achievement on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests has earned both the elementary and secondary schools a five-star rating from the State Department of Education in reading.

Much of the credit for Lancaster Public School's success belongs to its principal, Bradley Homstad, and the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Lancaster Public School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Lancaster Public School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Lancaster Public School in Lancaster for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Challenger Elementary School, in Thief River Falls, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Challenger Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. In 2002, the staff at Challenger initiated a grassroots effort to improve the quality of education at the school by implementing a successful literacy program. Their efforts resulted in the Literacy Collaborative, which is designed to improve reading for all children.

The school's framework for literacy lessons is based on providing multiple

opportunities to participate in reading and writing projects. Recently, Challenger Elementary pupils partnered with the Arctic Cat Corporation to create educational books about snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles for elementary-age children. These books now are being sold nationwide.

Challenger Elementary has benefited greatly from the strong support of the school board, which backed the Literacy Collaborative financially, as well as the community, which donated more than $40,000 for the school's book room. To date, staff members and volunteers have given more than 1,160 hours of their time preparing the book room, which boasts more than 5,000 volumes. Clearly, the Literacy Collaborative is more than a school initiative; it is also a prized community initiative that has been embraced by many volunteers and generous donors.

The program's success is evident in the students' strong test scores. Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment scores have improved since the initiation of the Literacy Collaborative, and Northwest Evaluation Association scores are also on the rise. In 2006, Challenger Elementary received four stars in reading from the Minnesota Department of Education.

Much of the credit for Challenger Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Patrick Marolt, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Challenger Elementary School understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Challenger Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Challenger Elementary School in Thief River Falls for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Baxter Elementary School, in Baxter, MN, which will soon earn an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Baxter Elementary School is truly a model of educational success. Located in one of Minnesota's most rapidly growing communities, Baxter Elementary School is setting a high standard for academic achievement throughout the school district. Baxter Elementary is committed to continuous curriculum review and staff development. The school offers a variety of enrichment opportunities to children, such as the Junior Achievement Program and the Junior Great Books Program. An afterschool program called Pals at Play is offered for children who need support in certain curricular areas.

Baxter Elementary has developed an innovative program called Teachers Needing Teachers, designed to assist pupils who are struggling in the classroom but who do not meet the criteria for special education services. The Teachers Needing Teachers Program is composed of an intervention team of experienced teaching professionals: a representative from each grade level at the school, the principal, a special education teacher, and the school's home-to-school collaborative liaison. The team has helped colleagues improve the classroom performance of children who are challenged academically and/ or behaviorally.

Baxter Elementary has an active Parent-Teacher Organization that contributes greatly to the excellence of the school. The recent efforts of the PTO resulted in a significant expansion of the book collection in the library, as well as upgrades to the computer lab, playgrounds, and the Literacy Collaborative book room.

The success of Baxter Elementary is also reflected in its test scores. In 2005, the school was awarded five stars in reading and math from the Minnesota Department of Education.

Much of the credit for Baxter Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Erin Herman, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Baxter Elementary understand that, in order to be successful, a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Baxter Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Baxter Elementary School in Baxter for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Badger School District, in Badger, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Badger School is truly a model of educational success. The school is dedicated to insuring that all students are prepared to function successfully and contribute to our ever-expanding world of technology and knowledge. Realizing that education is a multifaceted system involving the school, community, family, and governing bodies, Badger has developed an innovative curriculum that challenges students to achieve higher standards.

To prepare students to succeed in a global economy, Badger School recently received a grant to implement Project Lead the Way, a pre- engineering curriculum that promotes the integration of science, math, technology, and engineering. The district has also partnered with Humanitarian Services for Children of Vietnam and has a sister school in Hanoi. Through this partnership, the children are learning about cultural diversity and helping those less fortunate.

Badger School District serves 217 students in kindergarten through grade 12. The elementary school was recognized by the Minnesota Department of Education as a four-star school in reading and as a five- star school in math in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, the school received five stars in both subjects. Badger Secondary School received a three-star rating in math and reading in 2004 and improved to a four-star rating in math in 2005. As further testimony to the exemplary performance of Badger School District, the district was named an outperformer in math and reading based on academic achievement levels compared with the percentage of economically disadvantaged students in the district by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services.

Much of the credit for Badger School District's success belongs to its principal and superintendent, Gwen Borgen, and the dedicated teachers. The students and staff at Badger School District understand that in order to be successful a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where students can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and students at Badger School District should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Badger School District in Badger for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.

Mr. President, today I honor Lakeview Elementary School, in Lakeville, MN, which will soon receive an Award for Excellence in Education for its exceptional and innovative achievements in educating children.

Lakeview Elementary School is truly a model of educational success, and its staff is committed to the success of every child. The school has developed an early intervention program to identify children, early in their school career, who could have difficulties in reading and to provide intensive assistance in both kindergarten and first grade. This program has been extremely successful and has served as a model for other Lakeville schools and other school districts throughout the State.

Lakeview Elementary challenges all pupils to excel in reading through participation in an extensive, out-of-school reading program called ``Accelerated Reader.'' The AR program encourages children to read more and to increase comprehension through computer-based assessments, which the

children take after reading each book. For their efforts, pupils earn points, which they can then spend at the AR store twice a year.

Parents' involvement is another reason for Lakeview Elementary's exceptional performance. This fall, 99.6 percent of all parents attended their child's conferences. Parents are also very active in both the Lakeville Elementary Volunteer Organization and in the Parent Advisory Council. Last year, LEVO raised over $17,900 to improve the educational program, providing a poetry residency for all pupils, funding two assembly presentations, purchasing lap-top computers for the children's use, providing funds for transportation for all field trips, expanding the number of AR tests available, and funding the new art bulletin boards.

Lakeview Elementary stresses the importance of being a good citizen through service projects. Last year, the children adopted an elementary school in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and held a fundraiser to buy school supplies and coats for the displaced children. This service project created a strong bond between the two schools, and the children communicated with their counterparts throughout the school year. The children also held a fund drive for the Pennies for Patients Children's Leukemia Campaign for which they raised more than $2,600.

Lakeview Elementary School has consistently been ranked a Minnesota five-star school over the past few years, recognized for excellence by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Much of the credit for Lakeview Elementary School's success belongs to its principal, Terry Lind, and the dedicated teachers. The children and staff at Lakeview Elementary School understand that in order to be successful a school must go beyond achieving academic success; it must also provide a nurturing environment where children can develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes for success throughout life. All of the faculty, staff, and pupils at Lakeview Elementary School should be very proud of their accomplishments.

I congratulate Lakeview Elementary School in Lakeville for winning the Award for Excellence in Education and for its exceptional contributions to education in Minnesota.