Our current elementary and secondary education system is failing. Despite the federal government’s ever expanding footprint in K-12 classrooms, student achievement remains stagnant. It’s no wonder out of 34 countries that participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment, the U.S. ranks 20th and 27th in science and math, respectively. The Obama administration has only made the prob... Read more »
Federal control over the nation’s K-12 classrooms continues to hamstring the ability of states and school districts to deliver a quality education to every child. Unfortunately, this problem has only gotten worse under the current administration. Through pet projects and conditional waivers, the Obama administration has forced states to adopt the president’s preferred education priorities, rather ... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: The Obama administration has taken unprecedented action to further expand the federal footprint in America’s classrooms. Through the administration’s waiver scheme and pet programs such as Race to the Top, the Secretary of Education has used taxpayer dollars to coerce states into enacting the president’s preferred education reforms. For example, the administration has pressured state... Read more »
Dear Mr. President: We write today to urge you to act quickly to ensure our nation's ports remain open to commerce. The ongoing labor dispute at our West Coast ports has disrupted our nation's transportation network, supply chain, and, most significantly, our broader economy. Unfortunately, the dispute has already had a substantial negative impact on the movement of goods throughout the nation, a... Read more »
Dear Director Roessel: The federal government has made a commitment to Indian students and families to provide educational opportunity in a manner that preserves their culture, language, and traditions. However, we are deeply concerned by recent reports of the deplorable conditions of schools maintained by the Bureau of Indian Education, particularly the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig High School in northern ... Read more »
If it’s broken, fix it. When it comes to elementary and secondary education, that is precisely what the Education and the Workforce Committee plans to do this week. As any parent, teacher, or administrator knows, the nation’s K-12 education system is in need of repair. Decades of Washington’s oversized footprint have resulted in stagnant student achievement, disappointing graduation rates, and hig... Read more »
THE PROBLEM The federal government’s involvement in elementary and secondary education is at an all-time high. In 2013, the federal government spent nearly $35 billion on K-12 education – a roughly 400% increase over the past 30 years – and the Department of Education operates more than 80 programs tied to the nation’s classrooms. A one-size-fits-all accountability system, known as ‘Adequate Year... Read more »
THE PROBLEM Every child in every school deserves access to an excellent education. Unfortunately, the country continues to fall far short of reaching that goal. The federal government’s involvement in local K-12 schools is at an all-time high, yet student achievement remains stagnant. Approximately one out of every five students drops out of high school. Many that do graduate lack the knowledge a... Read more »
THE PROBLEM: The involvement of parents and education leaders is vital to ensuring every student in every school receives an excellent education. Yet, under the current law, states and school districts are bound by what Washington wants, not by what parents and education leaders know their children need. The one-size-fits-all federal accountability system, known as ‘Adequate Yearly Progress,’ res... Read more »
Each year, countless parents have no choice but to send their children to broken schools. For many students, their likelihood for success is contingent upon their zip code, not their unique needs and abilities. Fortunately, there are educational opportunities that offer a promising alternative. By empowering parents with access to innovative options – online, private, charter, homeschool, and dual... Read more »
