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MEMBERS OF NC CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SPEAK OUT ON STUDENT SUCCESS ACT OF 2013
by EDITOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation are speaking out after Friday’s vote on H.R. 5, the Student Success Act of 2013.


Congressman Mark Meadows
A press release from the office of Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC11) describes the bill as “the first education reform since the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act” and adds that “this legislation eliminates the federal government’s role in setting arbitrary metrics and narrow parameters to define student ‘success’ or ‘proficiency’ and gives those decisions to states and localities. The bill also does not permit the federal government to dictate Common Core standards; instead, it allows states to choose whether or not to adopt such standards.”

“Education decisions should be made at a state and local level,” Meadows said. “This legislation reduces federal control over our children’s education and empowers parents and teachers. In addition to giving decisions on Common Core standards to the states, it also eliminates No Child Left Behind legislation that hurt rural schools and communities. When considering this legislation, I reached out to numerous superintendents throughout the 11th District and heard extensive support for the bill. As a father, I am committed to supporting a robust education system that protects local schools from federal red tape and allows great teachers to instill a passion for learning in their classrooms. Rather than giving more decision-making power to Washington bureaucrats, the Student Success Act allows teachers, superintendents and school boards to determine what works best for the students in their own communities.”

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC5), who co-sponsored the legislation, said “North Carolina teachers, parents and administrators – not Washington bureaucrats – should be in charge of making education decisions in our state. The Student Success Act I cosponsored centers around the theme of empowering the people closest to students with the authority to make education choices in their respective states and communities. By scaling back Washington’s one-size-fits-all micromanagement of classrooms, this legislation takes positive steps toward ensuring local educators have the flexibility required to meet the diverse needs of their students. As a grandmother, educator and former school board member, I know students are best served when those at the local level are the driving force behind improving education. Washington red tape, duplicative programs and coercive standards compound the negative effects of flawed federal education laws on American schools. I will not allow Washington policy to compromise education quality, and the Student Success Act begins the process of getting Washington out of the way.”

According to a press release from Congresswoman Foxx, some of the reforms to federal education policy included in H.R. 5 are:

Prohibits the Secretary of Education from coercing states into adopting specific academic standards (such as Common Core) and imposing conditions in exchange for a waiver of K-12 law;
Eliminates more than 70 duplicative and ineffective federal K-12 programs;
Prioritizes state and local decision-making by scrapping one-size-fits-all accountability and school improvement systems;
Repeals antiquated “Highly Qualified Teacher” requirements that have little bearing on teacher effectiveness;
Supports state or school district efforts to develop their own evaluation systems that take into account student achievement and include input from parents, teachers, and administrators;
Reauthorizes and expands the Charter School Program to assist states in replicating high-quality charter schools;
Improves tutoring and public school choice options through the Direct Student Services Program; and
Ensures parents have access to meaningful information about school performance, and encourages communities to hold schools accountable.
Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC3) voted against the bill, implying that it did not go far enough in terms of reducing the Federal government’s role in education. A press release from Jones’ office described H.R. 5 as “a bill which purports to overhaul the unpopular No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) but still maintains a high level of federal involvement in the American education system.” The release adds that Congressman Jones did not vote for NCLB when it was introduced in the House of Representatives in 2001 and has consistently advocated for its full repeal, citing the need for state and local governments to control primary and secondary education systems.

“We need to get the federal government out of our classrooms,” said Jones. “Education is an issue that should be left to the states, who can more appropriately address the needs of their local students. Half-measures such as this that allow Washington to continue to wield extensive control are unacceptable.”

H.R. 5 passed the House in a vote of 221-207.