Polis Selected to ESEA Conference Committee

Press Release

Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) was one of seven House Democrats chosen today to serve on the conference committee to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind. ESEA, the nation's most sweeping K-12 law, has not been updated since 2001.

"As the founder of two charter schools, I have seen firsthand the power of innovation and choice to provide better educational opportunities to all families," Polis said. "When I was the chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education, I witnessed the shortcomings of No Child Left Behind up close as we sought to implement a flawed law, and I'm excited now to have the opportunity to correct those flaws.

"I'm honored to have this chance to shape the education system that will serve the next generation of kids. When ESEA was originally passed, it was first and foremost a civil rights law, and it's critical that this year's reauthorization maintain that original intent."

In July, the Senate passed a major rewrite of ESEA -- the Every Child Achieves Act -- with a bipartisan 81-17 vote, and the House passed its version of the bill, the Student Success Act, on a narrow, party-line vote of 218-213.

As a member of the conference committee, Polis will work with his colleagues to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill and ultimately produce a bill that can pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law.

When ESEA initially came before the House this year, Polis submitted a number of amendments to improve the Student Success Act, two of which were included in the final passage of the bill: an amendment to improve collaboration between public and charter schools and an amendment to allow federal funds to be used for open source textbooks and open educational resources.

Polis has spent his career in public service fighting for a strong education system. He is the founder and former superintendent of New America School, a network of charter schools in Colorado and New Mexico, and he's the former chair of the Colorado Board of Education. He also co-founded the Academy of Urban Learning, a charter school in Denver.

Source