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Every American deserves the opportunity to receive a quality education. While we have every right to be proud of our outstanding school system, we must continue to be vigilant to ensure that all Virginians can prepare themselves for the challenges of a dynamic 21st century economy.
This year, Congress will likely take up the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. During the 109th Congress, as a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I had the opportunity to engage in a series of hearings to learn more about the NCLB program and to look for areas to make improvements or reforms wherever possible. Although I am no longer a member of this committee, education is an area I continue to consider of the utmost importance.
The Commonwealth of Virginia has led the nation in the implementation of high academic standards and true accountability. That is why it is critical that NCLB supports and reinforces Virginia’s SOL program. Unfortunately, NCLB has not worked in conjunction with Virginia’s educational successes. Virginia’s schools need greater state and local autonomy, where decisions can be influenced by students, parents, teachers, and principals.
That I why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 1539, the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act. The A-PLUS Act is geared to addressing problems that have become apparent during the implementation of NCLB. The A-PLUS Act would return authority to the state level by allowing states to opt out of NCLB. Under this bill, a state would be exempted from federal requirements and could use its federal funding for any educational purpose allowed under state law. H.R. 1539 promotes greater state and local control in education while maintaining true accountability through state-level testing and information reporting to parents to ensure transparency.
The NCLB reauthorization debate offers an opportunity to make common-sense improvements to public education in America. I believe that returning greater authority to the states would empower parents, local school leaders, state policymakers, and governors to take responsibility for local schools and implement reforms to strengthen public education.
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