Conference Report on S. 1177, Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which seeks to replace the broken No Child Left Behind law. While I still have concerns with some provisions in this legislation, I believe this bill will serve our children better than the status quo. For example, the current waiver system has allowed states to ignore schools that are failing students. That is unacceptable and cannot continue.

I am concerned by the lack of federal oversight in implementing and enforcing many provisions of this bill. For example, states are left to determine how and when to intervene in schools that are failing children. We must guarantee that there is substantial federal role in ensuring states meet their obligations. Further, we must guarantee state and district implementation boards are inclusive, diverse, and adequately represent students of all needs and circumstances.

Despite shortcomings in the bill, I was pleased to see that states will now be required to collect and report data on incidences of bullying and harassment in school--an issue I have been working on for many years. It is a small, but powerful step in ensuring all children feel safe at school.

I voted for this bill because No Child Left Behind is simply not working. In four years, I look forward to revisiting reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to achieve an even more effective long-term policy.

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