On the recordJuly 8, 2015
I rise to speak about my amendment No. 2110. As a fifth-generation Montanan and a product of Montana public schools and because my wife is an elementary school teacher and I am the father of four children, and one of my children has a degree in elementary education as well, I truly understand how important a first- rate education is to our kids' future. As I meet with parents and educators across Montana, they frequently share concerns about the one-size-fits-all student performance and teacher qualification metrics that currently dictate Federal funding as part of No Child Left Behind. While well-intended, many of these metrics have proven difficult for schools--and particularly schools in rural areas--to achieve. The Federal funding tied to these policies has all too often forced States and school districts to adopt policies that may not best fit the students' and communities' unique needs. As the Senate debates the Every Child Achieves Act to reform our Nation's education policies, one of my priorities will be fighting to increase local control over academic standards and education policies and working to push back against burdensome Federal regulations that often place our schools in a straitjacket. For example, the U.S.…
