On Thursday, February 16 at 10:00 a.m., the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), will hold a legislative hearing on the Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990). The hearing will take place in room 2175 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
When No Child Left Behind was signed into law ten years ago, it fundamentally altered K-12 education in America by shining a spotlight on the performance of individual students and schools. However, there is widespread agreement that some areas of the law have failed to bring about necessary improvement in the nation’s classrooms.
In the first session of the 112th Congress, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held 11 hearings to discuss a better way forward for the elementary and secondary education system. Dozens of state and local education officials offered their thoughts on the challenges facing states and school districts across the country. Time and time again, these experts shared their frustration with current law’s overly-prescriptive accountability mandates, rigid teacher quality provisions, and restrictive funding schemes.
In response, Chairman Kline recently introduced two pieces of legislation designed to chart a new course for K-12 education. The Student Success Act (H.R. 3989) and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act (H.R. 3990) are designed to enhance school accountability, improve flexibility, and support more effective teachers in the classroom. Thursday’s hearing will allow members an opportunity to examine and obtain feedback on the legislation.
To learn more about this hearing, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings.
To learn more about the committee’s efforts to reform K-12 education, or to read summaries of the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov. WITNESS LIST
Mr. Tom Luna
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Idaho Department of Education
Boise, ID
Ms. Delia Pompa
Senior Vice President of Programs
National Council of La Raza
Washington, D.C.
Hon. Bob Schaffer
Chairman
Colorado State Board of Education
Fort Collins, CO
Dr. Robert Balfanz
Co-Director, Everyone Graduates Center
School of Education, Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Ms. Felicia Kazmier
Art Teacher
Otero Elementary School
Colorado Springs, CO
Mr. Jimmy Cunningham
Superintendent of Schools
Hampton School District
Hampton, AR
