Congress can empower Maine schools, students through ESEA reauthorization

By U.S. Sen. Angus King
(I-Maine)

    One of the most important aspects of being a Senator is listening and learning – it’s what I do every day. And when it comes to learning more about current education issues as they unfold, it should come as no surprise that I listen to Maine teachers, administrators, students, and parents to get a sense of the accomplishments and challenges in Maine classrooms.

    As Congress works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), better known as “No Child Left Behind,” I’ve been reaching out to Maine teachers and visiting schools in our state to better understand what our elementary, middle, and high schools – and, of course, our teachers and students – need from this federal legislation. A string of visits earlier this spring provided some great insight into how our educators are already employing innovative teaching methods, and how the federal government could build on those efforts by giving teachers and administrators more flexibility – particularly when it comes to testing requirements.
    These recent visits in Maine have reaffirmed my belief that we are doing exciting things in Maine to educate our kids, and to continue that, we must make sure the federal government serves as a partner in that effort rather than a barrier. In that vein, I look at ESEA reauthorization as a fantastic opportunity to restore the longstanding state and local roles in primary and secondary education. Nobody knows the needs of Maine students better than Maine teachers and parents, and the federal government should be promoting innovation in education, not stifling it. If we’ve learned anything from the shortcomings of No Child Left Behind, it’s that a one-size-fits-all approach to education just doesn’t work.
    Thankfully, the two people leading the ESEA reauthorization effort here in the Senate, Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), have been able to find common ground in creating the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. We are long overdue for ESEA reauthorization – the last version expired in 2007 – and this bipartisan bill has the potential to strengthen our national education system while ushering in much-needed programmatic flexibility that will empower state and local educators as they prepare our students for life in a dynamic and highly competitive world.
    The Heath, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee passed the Every Child Achieves Act on April 16, bringing us one step closer to ESEA reauthorization. Very encouragingly, the committee has included several provisions that I have advocated for, such as a bill that creates a grant program for teachers using technology in the classroom, a grant program to promote high quality early education, and a pilot program allowing states to try out their own testing systems in place of the current federally-mandated statewide systems. As this legislation moves to the Senate floor, I will continue to push for these and other provisions that would give Maine teachers and administrators the resources and flexibility they need to build brighter futures for our students across the state.