Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page H10019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR ALL STUDENTS AT ALL LEVELS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the passage of
the Every Student Succeeds Act, which President Obama signed into law 4
years ago yesterday.
When I came to Congress, updating the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act was one of my top priorities, and I was proud to stand
with President Obama on the day that we finally left behind No Child
Left Behind.
More than 50 years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act into law, and he said ESEA
represents a major new commitment of the Federal Government to quality
and equality in the schooling that we offer our young people.
I agree with President Johnson. When we promote and realize equity in
education, when we expand and invest in educational opportunities, we
can improve outcomes for all students at all levels.
Reauthorizing ESEA in 2015 was meant to put us closer to achieving
that equality envisioned in the original law, but there is still much
work to be done.
ESSA created new opportunities to make sure that all students,
regardless of their race, color, national origin, ZIP Code, or family
wealth, could have an equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality public
education.
It returned flexibility and autonomy to States and districts to set
high standards for all students, to evaluate schools using multiple
measures of student learning, and to design systems for identifying
schools in need of additional support.
With provisions I championed, States were also given the ability to
eliminate unnecessary or duplicative testing and access to resources
for fewer, better quality assessments. Importantly, the Every Student
Succeeds Act put more emphasis on well-rounded education that prepares
students to be creative, critical thinkers.
Since ESSA's passage, I have worked hard with appropriators to make
sure Congress fulfills the commitments made in this law with robust
funding of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants.
As we continue to implement this law, strong Federal accountability
and support are necessary to make sure that the flexibility and
autonomy that States and districts now have is used to identify and
close achievement gaps, rather than to shirk responsibility to
students. We know there is more work to be done in that area, as well.
Unfortunately, the current Department of Education is more focused on
privatizing education than on making sure that the States fully
implement the law. They are not holding States accountable for
improving outcomes of disadvantaged students. This is most noticeable
in the Department's approval of State plans that ignore the performance
of subgroups altogether and the lack of guidance and regulation
available to help States implement the Every Student Succeeds Act.
As we reflect on passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the
opportunities it provides, I urge the Department of Education and
Secretary DeVos to support States and hold them accountable for
implementing this law with fidelity. My colleagues on the Education and
Labor Committee will continue our robust oversight of the Department's
implementation to make sure that the Every Student Succeeds Act
fulfills a promise we made to all students when President Obama signed
it into law.
____________________
