Murray, Scott Urge Education Department to Hold States, School Districts, and Schools Accountable for Effectively Implementing New K-12 Education Law

Press Release

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King, requesting that the Department use its full authority to issue strong accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to help ensure schools and states provide a quality education to every student. The Members noted the law has maintained a civil rights focus since its inception in 1965 to improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged students, including students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and English learners.

"Holding schools, school districts, and states accountable for providing a quality education to all students will be essential in upholding the legacy of this civil rights law," Murray and Scott wrote. "Since enactment of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965 as part of President Johnson's civil rights agenda and War on Poverty, Congress…has focused the resources and attention of the federal government on improving educational opportunities for our nation's disadvantaged students…While the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorizes and updates this law, this longstanding bipartisan intent remains unchanged."

In crafting ESSA, Murray and Scott worked with their Republican colleagues to fix No Child Left Behind's overly prescriptive school accountability provisions and grant states more flexibility, while also maintaining strong federal guardrails to help ensure all students have access to a quality education. In their letter, they highlight that the Department's regulations in this area will clarify for states and local school districts the accountability requirements so they can effectively implement the new law.

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