Skip to Content

Press Releases

VIDEO RELEASE: Rep. Noem Explains Need for Increased Flexibility for K-12 Schools

House Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans today released the final in a series of videos that explore new draft legislative proposals to improve federal K-12 education law, known as No Child Left Behind.

In the video below, Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD), a member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, discusses the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. Together, these proposals will replace the outdated federal accountability system (Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP) with unique state-developed systems that better address the needs of local students, schools, and communities. Additionally, the bills will provide states enhanced flexibility to fund local initiatives, while also helping school districts identify, hire, and retain better teachers.  

       

For folks back home, having that additional flexibility with federal resources could allow them to distribute more funds to our unique student populations, or implement innovative programs to improve literacy, or improve after school opportunities for needy students … These proposals help put more control back in the hands of the parents, teachers, superintendents and state and local leaders who know the needs of our kids best.

The Student Success Act and Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act will also:

  • Return responsibility for student achievement to states, school districts, and parents, and maintain high expectations;  
  • Invest limited taxpayer dollars wisely;
  • Strengthen programs for schools and targeted populations;
  • Maintain and strengthen long-standing protections for state and local autonomy;
  • Provide information to parents on teacher effectiveness;
  • Increase school choice and engage parents in their child's education;
  • Increase state and local innovation to reform public education;
  • Eliminate unnecessary and ineffective federal programs; and
  • Support Impact Aid.

The draft legislation is part of committee Republicans’ ongoing efforts to enact lasting reforms to K-12 education by improving accountability, increasing flexibility, and supporting more effective teachers in the classroom. To learn more about the committee’s work to rewrite education law, click here.

To watch the first video in this series, featuring Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), click here.
To view the second video, featuring Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), click here.

# # #

Stay Connected