Committee Approves K-12 Education Reform Legislation

Committee Approves K-12 Education Reform Legislation

The following was published by the House Committee on Education and Labor on June 19, 2013. It is reproduced in full below.

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. John Kline (R-MN), today approved the Student Success Act (H.R. 5). Introduced by Chairman Kline and Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Chairman Todd Rokita (R-IN), this responsible legislation will rewrite the nation’s K-12 education law and put more control in the hands of state and local leaders.

“For too long, politics have stood in the way of real education reform," Chairman Kline said. “Continuing to allow short-term fixes and temporary waivers to take the place of a better law is inexcusable; Congress has a responsibility to move this process forward. The Student Success Act delivers the long-term solutions parents, teachers, and education leaders want and children deserve. The committee took an important step today by approving this responsible legislation, and I look forward to a lively debate on the House floor in the coming weeks."

Rep. Rokita said, “The Student Success Act gives parents, teachers, and state and local leaders the flexibility they need to ensure that every child has an opportunity for a successful future. By preventing excessive federal intrusion in our classrooms, eliminating the existing system of waivers and mandates, and ensuring that parents are equipped with more meaningful information about school performance, we are providing a better way forward for our education system. I’m pleased to have helped lead this bill through the committee and look forward to full passage in the House."

The following groups have expressed support for Student Success Act:

* American Association of School Administrators

* Americans for Tax Reform

* Agudath Israel of America

* Association of Christian Schools International

* Council for American Private Education

* Knowledge Alliance

* National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

* National Association of Charter School Authorizers

* National Catholic Educational Association

* National Center for Technological Literacy

* National School Boards Association

* United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

To learn more about the H.R. 5, click here.<

To read opening statements, review amendments, or watch an archived webcast of today’s markup, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/markups.

Source: House Committee on Education and Labor