Conference Report on S. 1177 Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman not only
for yielding, but for his and Chairman Kline's hard work on this bill.

I rise today in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Defending
public education is one of the reasons that I came to Congress. For
years, we have witnessed a negative impact on public education, from
underfunding our schools to stripping teachers of their rights to
collectively bargain for fair pay and conditions, like in my home State
of Wisconsin.

At the same time, punitive policies which limit teachers' and
administrators' abilities to manage their classrooms have further
hampered student achievement. It is past time we renew the promise of
an ESEA which has students' best interests at heart.

I meet with teachers and administrators from Wisconsin's Second
Congressional District regularly and was stunned when I was told that
one-third of a school's staff turned over last year because schools
lack the financial support and autonomy they need to give students the
educational experience they deserve. Teachers are being asked to do
more with less, and it is coming at the expense of our kids' education.

While this bill is not perfect, I am pleased that we are finally
discussing a bill today that aims to put students first and trusts our
teachers, who dedicate their careers to education. This bill trusts and
empowers teachers to ensure their voices are heard on the Federal,
State, and local level, while increasing teacher quality and
professional development and reducing the burden of testing in schools.

These are good improvements, Mr. Speaker, good for our Nation's
children. And that is why I support this bill.

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