House Passes Amendment that Offers More Red Tape Relief for Local Schools

Amendment Strengthens Flexibility Already in Bill

            WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The House of Representatives today passed an amendment offered by Reps. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) and Mike Castle (R-DE) by a vote of 217-209 to give up to 100 local school districts the opportunity to enter into five-year performance agreements that allow them to waive federal program requirements but holds them accountable for improving student achievement.

            “I commend Pat Tiberi and Mike Castle for crafting this amendment which frees districts to put academic results, rather than rules and regulations, at the center of K-12 programs,” Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) said. “School districts will be able to implement innovative, cutting edge solutions to meet the needs of their students, demonstrating to other states and districts what can be accomplished with additional flexibility and accountability.”

            “Our amendment has made a good bill even better,” said Tiberi, vice-chairman of the Select Education subcommittee. “It enhances the flexibility already in the bill and empowers local school officials, the people who know best how to meet the challenges they see in their classrooms every day.”

            “Flexibility is the key to local empowerment which leads to increased student achievement,” said Castle, chairman of the Education Reform Subcommittee. “School districts should be making the decisions for their schools, not the federal government. I am pleased that the House passed our amendment because I believe it builds on the flexibility already included in H.R. 1.”

            The committee-approved version of H.R. 1 provides unprecedented local flexibility to local school districts and allows them to transfer up to 50 percent of the federal education dollars they receive among a host of Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs. The Tiberi/Castle amendment allows 100 school districts in 50 states to enter into performance agreements with the Secretary of Education that would provide near-total relief from all federal education rules and requirements. Under these agreements, participating school districts could consolidate programs and be relieved of the burden of restrictive federal rules and red tape.

HOW “SUPER LOCAL FLEX” WORKS

Super Local Flex is premised on the charter school concept -- freedom from federal mandates in return for improving academic results.

· Under the program, school districts may enter into a five-year performance agreement with the Education Secretary. These agreements free districts to put academic results, rather than rules and regulations, at the center of K-12 programs.

· Like 1999’s bipartisan “Ed Flex” law, which began as a demonstration program in 12 states and has now expanded to all 50 states, school districts participating in performance agreements will be on the cutting edge, demonstrating to other states and districts what can be accomplished with additional flexibility and accountability.

· Super Local Flex is built on the notion that states and school districts who wish to negotiate a higher level of performance in exchange for flexibility should be free to do so. School districts should be able to focus resources on programs that have proven successful in enhancing student achievement, not forced to comply with federal requirements that have little to do with improving academic performance.

· Coupled with the “Local A’s”/transferability provision already included in the committee-approved version of H.R. 1, which is available to ALL districts, school districts across the nation will have new flexibility options in addressing the unique learning needs of their students.

· No school district is required to participate. For three years, two districts per state may participate. After three years, if fewer than 100 agreements have been granted, more than two school districts may participate, up to a total of 100 agreements.

· School districts lose their flexibility in five years if they do not meet their goals; in three years if they fail to make adequate yearly progress for three years in a row.

· Private schools and home schools have the same protections as current law. Civil rights requirements are not affected, nor are fiscal accountability and maintenance of effort requirements.

· If a school district chooses to participate, it does not affect the amount of federal resources it receives; the same formulas apply.

Included programs: Title II (Teachers), Title IVA (Block Grant), Title VA (Safe and Drug Free Schools), Title VB (Technology). It does not include Title I and Title IIIA (Bilingual).

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