releases: http://roby.house.gov/press-release/states-take-back-education-authority-%E2%80%9Cno-child-left-behind%E2%80%9D-replacement
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://roby.house.gov/press-release/states-take-back-education-authority-%E2%80%9Cno-child-left-behind%E2%80%9D-replacement | States Take Back Education Authority in No Child Left Behind Replacement | 2015-12-02 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | AL | Martha Roby | R000591 | roby.house.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congress took a major step toward replacing the No Child Left Behind education law Wednesday as the House of Representatives approved a final bill that reduces the federal footprint in education and returns decision-making back to states and local governments. In a significant accomplishment for U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-AL), the bill contains language she introduced and has championed prohibiting the U.S. Department of Education from using funding grants and rule waivers to coerce states into adopting its preferred policies, standards or curricula. I have fought for two-and-a-half years to build support for this idea, and now that strong language has a real chance of becoming law,Roby said. This is a big win for parents, teachers, administrators and anyone who has been frustrated by the federal intrusion in education policy. It isnt just important for the current issues we know about. Its also important for the next pet policy the Secretary of Education favors. Maybe thats next year or five years from now, but I want to take away their ability to improperly coerce states once and for all, and thats what my language does. In May 2013, Roby introduced the Defending State Authority Over Education Act, a standalone bill that sought to end the federal coercion on education policy that has tied the hands of state and local educators. She said at the time the true goal was having the language included in a rewrite of No Child Left Behind, which Congress has been working on for years. This year the House and Senate passed different versions of a plan to replace No Child Left Behind, which led the chambers to iron out the differences in a Conference Committee. The final version of the bill reported by the Conference Committee preserved Robys strong State Authority language. Having passed by the House, the bill awaits final approval in the Senate, which could take a vote as soon as next week. The Every Student Succeeds Act would replace the nations current law with policies that reflect a more conservative, state-driven approach to education. Specifically, the bill: Places new, unprecedented restrictions on the U.S. Secretary of Education, including the Roby State Authority" language prohibiting the Secretary and his agents from using money and rule waivers to coerce policy decisions; Eliminates the Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP metric and returns the responsibility for proficiency systems to the states where they belong; Phases in student mobility via a pilot program allowing Title 1 money to follow the student to the school of the parents choice, a provision that Robybelievesshould be built upon and expanded in the future; Supports the start-up, replication and expansion of high-quality public charter schools, which Alabama can now access to support its recently-enacted charter school program. Roby said shewould prefer the bill go much further in severing ties between federal and state governments in education, and voted to support amendments doing just that. However, the bill as it stands presents a cant-miss opportunity to reduce the federal footprint in education. The Wall Street Journal calls this bill 'the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century. As aconservative, thats pretty exciting. Sure,I would have preferred we go much further in severing federal ties in education.However, it would be foolish to sacrifice all the many good, important gains made in this bill simply because it doesnt have everything I want. Thats especially true when killing this bill would mean leaving No Child Left Behind in place as it is. The bill passed by a vote of 359 to 64. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |