Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) released the following statement after President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act:
Today I witnessed with great pride and pleasure President Obama signing into law the Every Student Succeeds Act. As a former educator, I applaud any legislation that aims to ensure that our nation's public schools prepare every student to succeed after earning their high school diplomas, whether they pursue post-secondary education opportunities or enter the workforce. It also was an honor to serve on the bipartisan, bicameral conference committee for the final bill, which includes my amendment to allow states to use Title IV funds to establish and improve dropout prevention and re-entry programs. As a result, more schools will be able to provide students with the support and resources they need to stay invested and engaged in their education.
In addition, as the president noted in his remarks, this landmark legislation enables states and school districts to reduce unnecessary standardized tests so that teachers can spend more time helping students develop critical thinking and complex skills and excitement about learning.
ESSA is by no means perfect, but it is an important and overdue step toward delivering on the promise of a quality education that every child in this nation deserves. I am thankful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agreed.
The text of the Every Student Succeeds Act can be found here.
