Bill Lee: “parents and teachers all across America are frustrated by Washington, DC's heavyhanded, overly prescriptive approach to…”

“parents and teachers all across America are frustrated by Washington, DC's heavyhanded, overly prescriptive approach to public education policy. I have heard from countless moms and dads in Utah who feel as though anonymous Federal Government officials, living and working 2,000 miles away, have a greater say in the education of their children than they do. One of the most frustrating issues for parents is the amount of standardized tests that their children are required to take, particularly the tests that are designed and mandated by the Federal Government. It is not just the frequency of those tests that is frustrating. Too often parents do not know when these federally required assessments are going to take place, and they do not even find out until after the fact. It is important to recognize that this is not a partisan issue. The notion that parents should not be expected to forfeit all of their rights to the government, just because they enroll their children in the public school system, is not a Democratic idea nor is it a Republican idea. It is simply an American idea. That is why several States, including States as distinct as California and Utah, have passed laws that allow parents to opt out of federally required tests. But there is a problem.…”