Unfortunately, including the Straight A’s and Teacher Empowerment block grants in the bill would undermine these efforts to achieve high-quality schooling and equal educational opportunity for our nation’s poorest children. Straight A’s would allow states to use federal funds for other purposes, instead of addressing pressing national priorities, such as improving education for disadvantaged children, enhancing teacher quality, reducing class size and promoting high standards. It could also reduce targeting on disadvantaged students and allow federal education funds to be used for private and religious school vouchers.

The Teacher Empowerment plan could force schools to choose between reducing class sizes and providing high-quality professional development for teachers. This would be an unconscionable trade-off; students, especially disadvantaged students, need both smaller classes and excellent teachers.

The so-called Affordable Education Act promises much but delivers virtually nothing. It won’t do anything to help most American families educate their children, and it won’t do anything to improve the public schools that 90 percent of our kids attend.