APPENDIX E - THE WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE RALPH M. TANNER, KANSAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 10, BALDWIN CITY, KANSAS, ON BEHALF OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES, WASHINGTON, D.C.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES

WASHINGTON OFFICE: 444 NORTH CAPITOL STREET, NW SUITE 515 WASHINGTON, DC 20001

202/624-5400; 202/737-1069 FAX

TESTIMONY OF

RALPH M. TANNER

KANSAS STATE REPRESENTATIVE

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REGARDING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR ALL

(STRAIGHT A'S ACT)

'May 20, 1999

(109)

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for inviting me here today to present the views of the

National Conference of State Legislatures on the proposed “Academic Achievement for All Act".

My name is Ralph Tanner. I am a member of the Kansas House of Representatives and currently chair the Education Committee in that body. I am an active member of NCSL's Committee on Education, Labor and Job Training of the Assembly on Federal Issues. Simply put, that Committee develops policy to guide NCSL in its advocacy efforts on behalf of the nation's 99 legislative institutions and 7,500 legislators.

Throughout my life I have been an educator. I taught in elementary and secondary schools, at a junior college and at my undergraduate alma mater, Birmingham-Southern College. In 1972 I was appointed President of Birmingham-Southern and have also served as President of Baker University. After two unsuccessful attempts at retirement, I ran for the Kansas House in 1994 and have been reelected twice since then. I offer you my work history as a confession to you that I do not come to