Senator Tim Scott Statement on Final Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act

Press Release

U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), a leading advocate for school choice in the United States Senate, issued the following statement after voting against the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) -- the successor to No Child Left Behind:

"Since coming to the Senate, school choice has been the foundation of my Opportunity Agenda, as I believe we must give parents more options in determining the best educational path for their children. I firmly believe that when parents have a choice, kids have a better chance.

"While the Every Student Succeeds Act is a good step forward, it does not include strong enough school choice provisions to provide our nation's children with true access to the best education possible. Too many children, especially those living in poverty, continued to be denied access to a quality education simply because of their zip code and socioeconomic status. This cannot continue. By embracing school choice and fundamentally reforming education, we can reduce poverty, strengthen communities and unleash our students' true potential. "

Earlier this year, Senator Scott offered an amendment to allow Title I funds to follow low-income children and strengthen educational options for their parents. As a member of the Senate Education Committee, Senator Scott also introduced the CHOICE Act to provide more educational options for low-income communities, children with special needs and our military families. During his time in the Senate, he has highlighted the importance of school choice by hosting a national school choice conference on Capitol Hill and pushed for reauthorization of the successful Washington D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

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