{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://richmond.house.gov/press-releases/rep-richmond-expresses-support-every-student-succeeds-act", "Rep. Richmond Expresses Support for the Every Student Succeeds Act", "2015-12-03", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cedric Richmond", "R000588", "richmond.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Today, Rep. Richmond (D-LA) released the following statement in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act that passed the House of Representatives yesterday:\nBy approving the Every Student Succeeds Act, the House took a much-needed step towards improving education across the nation, said Rep. Richmond. This is an example of what we can accomplish when both sides put politics aside and commit to work together on an important issue. Like any compromise, neither side got everything they wanted. This is not a perfect bill, but it is a significant one that will improve life in classrooms across the country for our children and teachers. It empowers educators, reduces the fixation on test results, and ensures that there are proper assessment tools and federal oversight to hold failing schools accountable.\nThis bill also implements positive reforms to end the school to prison pipeline by improving school discipline practices so that children spend school time in classrooms, not in jail cells. It provides the funding necessary for schools to better support teachers and use evidenced-based, positive behavior intervention and support, instead of relying on severe and ineffective zero-tolerance policies. It also encourages schools to develop programs that address discipline gaps, programs that can be expanded if we pass legislation like the Youth Promise Act or the Youth Justice Act. These are critical steps in the right direction, and I am committed to making sure we continue on this path. How we treat our children is a fundamental reflection of the values we hold. Keeping children in school and creating environments where all children feel safe and eager to learn should be everyones priority.\nWhile this bill is essential, it is not the end. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and our local education community to make sure that we continue to fix problems in our education system and provide all our children with the high-quality education they deserve.\nESSA requires states and localities to focus on the overuse of exclusionary and dangerous discipline practices:\n State plans must describe how they will support LEAs to improve school conditions for student learning, including, reducingincidences of bullying and harassment; the overuse of discipline practices that remove students from the classroom; and the use of aversive behavioral interventions that compromise student health and safety.\n\tLocal plans must describe how they will support efforts to reduce the overuse of discipline practices that remove students form the classroom.\n ESSA provides funding for states and localities to implement effective discipline practices and engage parents and families in school success:\n Localities can use Title II funds to develop programs and activities that increase the ability of teachers to effectively teach children with disabilities, including children with significant cognitive disabilities.\n\tLEAs can use federal funding to develop many programs and activities aimed at reducing the school discipline gap, including:\n\t\tTraumainformed and evidencebased, school based mental health services\n\t\t\tBullying and harassment prevention programs\n\t\t\tSchool dropout and reentry programs\n\t\t\tDesigning and implementing a locallytailored evidencebased plans to reduce exclusionary discipline practices in elementary and secondary schools\n\t\t\n ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://richmond.house.gov/press-releases/rep-richmond-expresses-support-every-student-succeeds-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0682038739323616, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}