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- Republicans Unveil "Super
- Ed-Flex" Education Reforms
- Straight A's Legislation Carries
On
- Bipartisan Success of
Ed-Flex
WASHINGTON - Hoping to build on the success of
"Ed-Flex," the flexibility-enhancing education reform legislation passed
by the GOP Congress and signed into law last spring, House and Senate
Republicans today unveiled a "super Ed-Flex" package designed to provide
greater freedom for states, teachers and parents in improving student
performance. U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) joined GOP leaders in urging
Democrats to work with Republicans to pass the reforms.
Dubbed the Straight A's Act, the GOP legislation
will renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) -- the
major federal law that steers federal policy on almost every aspect of
public education from kindergarten through high school -- while removing
federal strings that often tie the hands of local educators and parents
seeking to improve student performance.
"This is an important time for education in
America," Boehner said. "Renewal of ESEA will be a key step in defining
and redefining Washington's role in the education of our youth. This
legislation will build on the bipartisan success of Ed-Flex and maximize
student performance and local control."
The Straight A's Act is intended
to:
Under the legislation, states would sign a 5-year
performance agreement with the Secretary of Education in exchange for
greater flexibility in crafting programs to meet the specific needs of
their students. The measure would emphasize reducing achievement gaps
between highest and lowest performing students, rewarding students that
reduce those gaps by at least 25 percent. It would also reduce
regulatory and paperwork burdens on states and school districts by
focusing on performance over compliance with process requirements, and
free states to use federal funds for proven state education programs.
The legislation does not eliminate any federal
education programs. It gives states the option of receiving
federal education funds in exchange for enhanced student
performance, Boehner pointed out.
"This legislation changes the federal role in these
states from CEO to investor," Boehner said. "It's our way of saying, if
you can do a better job than Washington can in improving student
performance, then we're willing to give you the freedom and flexibility
you need to do it."
Boehner is a member of the House Education and the
Workforce Committee, which produced both Ed-Flex and the Straight A's
Act.
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