Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as a former member of the Alabama State school board, former chancellor of postsecondary education for the State of Alabama, and as a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am proud to support this rule and the underlying legislation. For too long, our Nation's education system has failed under a heavy, top-down system of mandates and requirements set by Washington bureaucrats and special interest groups. The Every Student Succeeds Act changes that by getting Washington out of the way and empowering our local teachers, principals, and administrators. This legislation achieves these goals by reducing the Federal Government's role in K-12 education and restoring control over education back to the States and local school districts, where it belongs. The Wall Street Journal editorial board calls this legislation the largest devolution of Federal control to the States in a quarter- century. National Journal notes that the bill marks a rollback of Federal power, while Politico points out that the bill cuts down on the number of education programs. I hear concerns often from my constituents in southwest Alabama about the Common Core standards. Well, this bill expressly prohibits the Secretary of Education from influencing or coercing States into adopting Common Core. This bill makes clear that it is solely a State's responsibility to set academic standards and pick assessments.…”