Conference Report on S. 1177, Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALLEN. I thank the chairman as well as the ranking member for their hard work on this bill. Thank you for getting us to this important day.

Today, I rise in support of the Every Student Succeeds Act. This bicameral legislation improves K-12 education by repealing No Child Left Behind and scales back Washington's role in education by restoring authority to those who know our students best.

As we have seen, the current top-down approach is not working. The arms of Washington have extended far too long into the classroom. We need a change; American students deserve a change. And the Every Student Succeeds Act is a powerful step forward in reforming our educational system.

This legislation stops Federal micromanagement of local schools, gets rid of unnecessary programs, downsizes the Federal education bureaucracy, places new restrictions on the authority of the Secretary of Education, and, most importantly, restores control back to the local level, letting States and school districts address the needs of our students.

Teachers, school officials, and parents have an ear to the ground each day. They know what our schoolchildren need to succeed. This is what I hear every time I am in the district. Washington bureaucrats do not belong in the classroom.

I am proud to support this legislation that gives students the tools they need for a successful future. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the conference report.

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