Twenty-nine civil rights groups, business associations, statewide education officials, and education advocates–including the US Chamber of Commerce, ACLU, Chiefs for Change, Education Trust, National Urban League, and Students First–announce withholding of support for Senate HELP Committee’s ESEA reauthorization plans due to historic retreat on accountability measures.
“Federal funding must be attached to firm, ambitious and unequivocal demands for higher achievement, high school graduation rates and gap closing. We know that states, school districts, and schools needed a more modern and focused law. However, we respectfully believe that the bill goes too far in providing flexibility by marginalizing the focus on the achievement of disadvantaged students.”