Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Schock-Meehan amendment.

In recent years, the Federal Government has taken more and more control over deciding what goals and curriculum best fit our kids' needs. However, as all Americans know, education policy should be set by those that know the community best--parents, teachers, and local school board members. That's exactly what this amendment does. Our amendment has three main objectives:

It restores flexibility in crafting curriculum and education for our children. The Department of Education would be restricted in promulgating any rules and regulations that contradict or create costly burdens on local school districts without an act of Congress.

Second, it strengthens the process for input by parents.

And, last, it requires that the Department of Education provide an annual report to Congress on how any policies affect local school districts.

This enables local school boards to have the ability to craft policies in coordination with the communities they serve.

This amendment is vitally important to our communities. From Pennsylvania to Illinois and beyond, the parents, the students, and the school board members that they elect are truly the experts in education, not Washington bureaucrats.

I urge my colleagues to support the Schock-Meehan amendment.

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Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Chair, let me just close my time by once again articulating the point that has been so well made by my colleagues as well, that we do not have a Secretary of Education that is a national school board president.

I have spoken to those who have dedicated their time and their professional commitment: school board leaders and local educators themselves who understand how to best create the kinds of curriculum that will most effectively serve the children in our communities.

I ask our colleagues to strongly support the Schock-Meehan amendment.

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