Ronnie Shows on Education Former Democratic Representative (MS-4)

Voted YES on requiring states to test students.

Let schools display the words "God Bless America".

Title: Expressing the sense of the Congress that public schools may display the words "God Bless America" as an expression of support for the Nation.

Reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3.

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a grants program to:
1. recruit, train, and hire 100,000 additional teachers over a seven-year period ;

2. reduce class sizes nationally, in grades one through three, to an average of 18 students per classroom; and

3. improve teaching in the early grades so that all students can learn to read independently and well by the end of the third grade.

Supports a Constitutional Amendment for school prayer.

H.J.RES.52 (2001), H.J.RES.66 (1999), S.J.RES. 1, H.J.RES.12, H. J. RES. 108, & H. J. RES. 55:

Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer . Neither the United States nor any State shall compose the words of any prayer to be said in public schools.

To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. Neither the United States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion.

Proposed Legislation:
• H.J.RES.52, School Prayer Amendment, 6/13/2001 (Murtha)
• H.J.RES.12, School Prayer Amendment, 2/7/2001 (Emerson)
• S.J.RES.1, School Prayer Amendment, 1/22/2001 (Thurmond)
• H.J.RES.108, Voluntary School Prayer Amendment, 9/21/2000 (Graham)
• H.J.RES.55, Voluntary School Prayer Amendment, 2/13/1997 (Stearnes, Hall, Watts)
• H.J.RES.78, Amendment Restoring Religious Freedom, 5/8/1997 (Istook, et. al.)