Washington, DC, Jul 19 - There is broad consensus among educators, school administrators, and parents that current federal education policy is no longer effectively serving the needs of the nation’s students and is unfairly punishing cash-strapped school districts. That policy – the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – has not been revisited since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which expired back in 2007. Today, Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, voted for the Student Success Act, H.R. 5, which reauthorizes ESEA for five years and institutes commonsense reforms that grant states and local school districts greater authority in the classroom. H.R. 5 passed by a vote of 221-207 and now heads to the Senate for consideration. “Putting control of the classroom back in the hands of teachers and parents is essential to the success of our students, particularly in our most vulnerable school districts,” said Upton. “For too long, we have witnessed the damaging impact that unattainable federal standards and punitive ‘improvement strategies’ have had on Michigan’s schools. Doubling down on the failed status quo is not fair to our students and families.” Originally enacted in 1965, ESEA provides federal funding to elementary and secondary schools, primarily to supplement state and local funding for disadvantaged students. Without congressional reauthorization, the Obama administration has used federal funds meant for all students to coerce states into adopting the Common Core and various other policies preferred by the administration in the form of waivers from current federal regulations. H.R. 5 repeals ESEA’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement and federally-prescribed school improvement and turnaround intervention programs. It directs states to develop academic achievement standards, assessments, and accountability mechanisms to measure learning outcomes. The Student Success Act protects state and local autonomy by prohibiting the Secretary of Education from imposing conditions and additional burdens on states, including those involving Common Core and other state standards and assessments.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Jul 2013 13:02:42 +0000
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