Flexibility Bill Falls Short
A “Flexibility Bill” being considered by the House Education and Workforce Committee would dilute the federal government’s role in protecting funding for the most vulnerable students. Far from providing flexibility, if passed, it would undermine the spirit and intent of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) passed in 1965 as a part of the "War on Poverty" and amended and reauthorized in 2002 as NCLB. It would narrow protections for the very students it was designed to protect -- low income, English language learners (ELL) and Native Americans.
According to NEA, “The future of nearly 29 million students is at stake.” In spite of its good intentions, the group believes that the State and Local Funding Flexibility Act (H.R. 2445) could create a loophole allowing the diversion of already scarce resources away from the students who need it most. The organization believes that a reauthorized ESEA must grant more decision-making power at the local level.
Read NEA’s press release on this legislation.
Call for Change
