Press Releases

At a hearing on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce questioned Acting Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. about how the Department of Education plans to implement the law in a manner consistent with the letter and intent of the law. Focusing on ESSA provisions that prevent the federal government from forcing or coercing states to adopt a specific set of academic standards like Common Core, Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI) asked Dr. King how the department will ensure the right of states to set their own academic standards is protected.

Setting standards, developing curriculums, and assessing student achievement are state and local responsibilities—not federal ones. That’s why several provisions were included in the Every Student Succeeds Act strictly prohibiting the federal government from reaching into our states and coercing our schools into adopting Common Core or any other standards or assessments. The law puts a firm end to the federal government bullying states into submission when it comes to how and what they choose to teach their students.