Washington, D.C. — Carmel Martin, Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act:
Reauthorization of one of the nation’s most important laws dealing with education presents an important opportunity for Congress to ensure that all students—regardless of ZIP code, background, or family income level—can receive a quality public education. Contrary to its name, the Student Success Act—passed today on a party-line vote by the U.S. House of Representatives—falls far short of that objective. The bill would send billions of dollars to states without the necessary checks and balances to ensure that districts are using these resources to lift up all students, and it would open the door for states to redirect badly needed resources from low-income districts to wealthier ones. Despite national support on both sides of the aisle for investing in high-quality early childhood education, the bill fails to expand access in any significant way. Meaningful support for teachers and proven innovation programs are nowhere to be found in the so-called Student Success Act.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, passed as part of former President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, was intended to be a crucial tool to help protect at-risk students, close achievement gaps, and level the playing field for all children. There must be significant improvements to this bill before it can come close to landing on the president’s desk.
Click here to view CAP’s recent work on ESEA reauthorization.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected] or 202.478.6331.