Issue Position: Education

Issue Position

Values

Believes the primary focus of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) should be on giving flexibility back to the states and local school districts.

Teachers, parents, and local school boards are in the best position to assess the needs of students. Virginia's Standards of Learning have proven successful in ensuring our state has strong, academic performing schools.

While the states and local school districts should be given more flexibility, the federal government continues to play a critical role in providing funding for educational opportunities for disabled and low-income children.

Actions

Voted to support H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. The Student Success Act would replace No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and establish state-determined accountability systems, which will give states and school districts the authority to measure student performance. The bill would increase the flexibility of states and school districts to develop school improvement strategies and rewards, but maintain the requirement that states and school districts distribute yearly report cards that contain information on graduation rates and student achievement. In an effort to promote a more reasonable role for the federal government in our education system, the Student Success Act also would eliminate some elementary and secondary education programs while consolidating others.

Cosponsored and supported the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act of 2013 (H.R. 1526), which passed the House on September 20, 2013. This common-sense "Trees for Schools' legislation seeks to properly manage National Forest Lands, promote responsible timber production, help provide jobs for hard-working Americans, and support rural forest communities by sharing revenue that can be used by local governments for education and other public services. Localities in the Ninth District of Virginia that would benefit are: Alleghany, Bland, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.

Cosponsored and supported H.R. 647, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, to create tax-exempt accounts for individuals with disabilities that would allow them to prepare for future education, medical, transportation, or housing needs and enable them to live a more independent life.

Conversed with educators throughout the district on the challenges of meeting the standards set in NCLB. Under this law, even the best performing schools could be deemed "failures" by the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). This is just one example of adjustments that need to be made to the system now.

Supports allowing the Commonwealth of Virginia to opt-out of certain requirements under NCLB.

Member of the Congressional Rural Education Caucus. The caucus is a bipartisan group of Members interested in working together to promote greater awareness of the unique needs and functions of rural school systems.

Source