Yesterday the House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, taking an important step toward replacing No Child Left Behind and improving K-12 education. The bicameral bill (S. 1177), which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support: Significantly shift(s) authority over the nation’s 100,000 public schools from the federal government to states and local school districts. (Washington Post) Represent... Read more »
After years of executive overreach and congressional inaction, the House is considering today a proposal that would replace No Child Left Behind and rein in the federal government’s ability to intervene in K-12 education. As news reports highlight, the bicameral legislation, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), reflects principles House Republicans have long-championed: reducing the fed... Read more »
After decades of federal intrusion into the nation’s schools, it’s no surprise the congressional effort to replace No Child Left Behind has been met with some myths and misinformation about how a new education law will affect students, parents, and teachers. In particular, many have voiced concerns about whether the bill prohibits Washington’s involvement in Common Core. Fortunately, it absolutely... Read more »
Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN): Restoring Local Control to K-12 Education Since I was sworn in to Congress in 2009, I've proudly served on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. A former mayor, I am keenly aware of the importance of our educators and school administrators. They shape the future of our communities, and their work greatly affects the economy, which is why I've made it a po... Read more »
Parents play a critical role in helping to ensure their children receive a quality education. Unfortunately, under current federal law, teachers and state and local education leaders are bound by what Washington wants, not by what parents know their children need. The House-Senate proposal to replace No Child Left Behind rejects the Washington-knows-best approach to education and empowers those wh... Read more »
Under No Child Left Behind, federal bureaucrats exercise decision-making power that once rested with states and school districts. Today, Washington controls how states hold schools accountable, how schools hire classroom teachers, and how school districts spend taxpayer dollars. States looking for relief from the federal government’s onerous requirements were greeted with new rules set by the Obam... Read more »
Washington’s role in education is at an all-time high. Today, the Department of Education: Operates more than 80 programs tied to the nation’s classrooms – the majority of which are ineffective, duplicative, and unnecessary; Controls how states and school districts gauge student achievement, improve underperforming schools, spend limited taxpayer dollars, and hire and fire teachers; and Coerces st... Read more »
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC): Replace No Child Left Behind to Improve Education, Empower Parents As a child, my family’s home didn’t have electricity or running water. My parents, while dedicated and hardworking, were poor with little formal education. Fortunately, I was pushed by the right people – teachers and administrators who wouldn’t let me settle for less than my best. In the mountains of Nor... Read more »
For almost five years, the Obama administration has set federal education policy through a controversial and convoluted conditional waiver scheme – allowing the secretary of education to impose a backdoor education agenda on states and school districts that includes Common Core, teacher evaluations based on high–stakes testing, and prescriptive school improvement plans. Fortunately, a House-Senate... Read more »
After nearly a year of legislative work, Congress is poised to replace No Child Left Behind and improve K-12 education. Both the House and Senate passed separate proposals to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this summer, and now a bicameral conference committee has put forward a final proposal that will reduce the federal role in education, restore local control, and empower... Read more »
