The Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2000 recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton expresses an important insight about America's future.

We succeed in life by choice - not by chance. This nation will continue to be the most successful force in our rapidly evolving "Information Age" only if we invest in the potential of every child. If we wisely choose to "leave no child behind," we will not be left behind as a society.

This year, the Congress struggled - but we ultimately made the right choice by increasing, not cutting, federal aid to education. We appropriated $35.6 billion for the nation's schools, an increase of $2.5 billion over last year.

The additional funding will help to pay for new teachers, allowing smaller classes. We also support high-technology education, more after-school programs and college preparation efforts like the "GEAR UP" initiative now at work in Baltimore's Rognel Heights Middle School.

State and local leaders now face important choices about their role in funding public education. They have a golden opportunity to use these additional federal funds wisely while expanding their own financial commitment. We must assure that all children are provided the resources they need to achieve high educational standards.

Ultimately, however, the education of America's children rests in the hands of families, not government. That is why I accepted Pimlico Elementary School's invitation last week to talk with parents about their involvement.

Life in Pimlico is not easy, but inside their aging school on a poorly lit Baltimore City street, I found people who see the future quite clearly. They know what - and, especially, whom -their children need if they are to follow their own light and succeed in life.

So many families walked through the cold night air to participate in the parent-teacher meeting I attended that the scheduled meeting room was not large enough to hold us all. We filled the school's auditorium, teaching Pimlico's children an important lesson by our presence.

On a busy Wednesday night, parents and other community leaders found the time to support the power of education. They applauded Pimlico's first grade choir, singing so sweetly from beneath their oversized Santa Claus hats, and they cheered as their older children marched in step (more often than not) on the school's drill team.

Eighty-eight percent of Pimlico's students are poor enough to qualify for free school lunch. They confront most of the other challenges that plague urban neighborhoods.

This Baltimore community, however, is choosing to create success. Despite financial hardships, Pimlico's parents and grandparents refuse to allow the seeds of poverty to become rooted in their children's hearts and minds. They are volunteering enthusiastically in their school's classrooms and helping with extracurricular activities. Their PTA is one of the most active in the Baltimore area.

At Pimlico Elementary School, Principal Sarah Horsey and a remarkable group of parents and teachers are setting high standards for our children. Equally important, they are doing everything within their power to help their children achieve and surpass those higher expectations.

The positive results of their involvement and support are clear. Higher test scores at Pimlico Elementary School are making educators and public officials across Maryland take notice. Soon, Pimlico will be known as a model for schools across the country.

In 1996, only one out of twenty Pimlico third-graders could pass the Maryland reading test. This year, the school's reading level approaches the Maryland average. Pimlico's Maryland School Performance Assessment Program scores have increased by more than 35 points and are now among the top 5 in Baltimore City.

Last week, when I finished my remarks, Pimlico's parents and teachers thanked me, but I was grateful to them for allowing me to experience the power and effects of their dedicated involvement. We in the Congress can fund educational programs, but it is even more moving to work with the true architects of this nation's future.