Miami Herald: Naked Politics - Miami Congressman, a Former School Board Member, Will Help Rewrite No Child Left Behind Law

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By Patricia Mazzei

U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo will have a seat at the table to work out the final details of the overhauled No Child Left Behind education law, a massive, controversial piece of legislation that has taken years for lawmakers to reform.

House Speaker Paul Ryan appointed Curbelo, a Miami Republican and former Miami-Dade School Board member, to the conference committee on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as the legislation is formally known. The committee of House and Senate members will try to agree on the wording of the law. Both chambers have passed different versions.

"Building a better education system for every child in America is one of my great passions. I began this work five years ago as a member of the Miami-Dade County School Board and have been able to continue it on the Committee on Education and the Workforce here in Congress," Curbelo said in a statement.

"This reauthorization of the ESEA puts children at the center of America's education system, reduces burdensome regulations on school districts and teachers, and promotes school choice. On the conference committee, I will fight for a strong but fair accountability system and to protect the interests of English language learners and the teachers and districts who serve these students -- a major priority for our schools in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties."

Earlier in the legislative process, Curbelo passed an amendment giving students learning English more time to achieve proficiency in reading and math.

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