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Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) today supported S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act, bipartisan legislation that will improve K-12 education and replace the broken No Child Left Behind law. The agreement is a compromise between the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives reached after months of negotiations, and is the first update to federal education law since No Child Left Behind in 2002. The bill now moves to the Senate for approval before being sent to the President for his signature.

“This legislation is a win for students, teachers and parents in Southeast Michigan and across the country,” said Dingell. “It ushers in a new chapter in improving our nation’s schools by finally fixing No Child Left Behind, which has been broken for too long. It encourages educational innovation, invests in early learning, helps improve low-performing schools, and allows flexibility at the local level while requiring the high standards our children deserve. This bipartisan compromise is a powerful example of what happens when we put partisanship aside and work together. We need more of this, and I hope it is just the beginning of a new era where we work together to solve our country’s problems.”

The bipartisan conference agreement includes a number of key provisions:

•    Repeals the one-size-fits-all “adequate yearly progress” federal accountability system and replaces it with a statewide accountability system;
•    Maintains important information about student performance;
•    Helps states to improve low-performing schools;
•    Improves accountability for learning outcomes for all students;
•    Targets funds to at-risk children;
•    Helps states increase teacher quality; and 
•    Provides greater funding flexibility to enhance support for students and schools.

The legislation is supported by a broad cross-section of organizations, including the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, National Governors Association, National School Boards Association, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, STEM Education Coalition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The Education Trust, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Council of La Raza, Democrats for Education Reform, and National Center for Learning Disabilities.