Student Opportunity Gaps

Federal Student Success Bill Prepares for Vote

By February 28, 2015 No Comments

National debate on the Student Success Act is drawing to a close and Congress is hearing a large amount from grassroots groups, with a loud opposition to HR5. AASA told MREA on Friday that the overall vote is close, and now is the time to contact your Representative and urge them to support HR5. Track this bill.

This bill supports state and local accountability for public education, protects state and local authority and informs parents of the performance of their children’s schools.

Take Action

Please take a few minutes to contact your Member of Congress and urge them to VOTE YES to HR5.

  • Find your member of Congress.  (Scroll to “Find Your Elected Officials”)
  • Ask them to vote YES on HR5. Relay your support, what complete reauthorization would mean for your district and that AASA supports HR5.

You can view AASA’s letter of support and the committee letter.

Why Support

  • Reauthorization is crucial to providing the nation’s schools with relief from current law, which is both broken and lacking in the flexibility states and local school districts need to support student learning and achievement.
  • HR5 is a strong step in the right direction because it restores a more proper balance between federal, state and local government in public education.
  • HR5 takes the pendulum of federal overreach and prescription and places it more squarely in the area of state and local expertise and autonomy.
  • HR5 recognizes the importance of empowering state and local leaders to use their professional knowledge and proximal location to make the decisions necessary to successfully adhere to their educational missions.
  • HR5 is not a perfect bill, but it gets far more right than it gets wrong, and our nation’s schools and students deserve a complete reauthorization and to be free from the limited, conditional nature of ESEA waivers.