Student Success Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise this evening in support of my amendment that sends a very clear message to States that if they choose to withdraw from Common Core, there will be no penalty whatsoever from the Federal Government.

As a New York State Senator, I introduced legislation with New York State Assemblymen Al Graf and Ed Ra that would stop Common Core in New York.

In New York, we have these Common Core standards set nationally, tests created by the State, curriculum set by the local school districts, and no one is talking to each other; teachers not only teaching to the test, but they are teaching to the wrong test because they are not given the tools they need to know what the test is even going to look like.

And for any government Kool Aid-drinking bureaucrat who is listening to this and disagreeing with what I have to say, you are not listening to those parents and educators and students who are pleading with passion exactly what I am saying, begging for a positive change that will improve the quality of education in America's classrooms.

The most common argument I received in opposition to my bill was that if New York State withdrew from Common Core, that somehow the Federal Government was going to punish New York State with hundreds of millions of dollars lost--some even said billions of dollars. This amendment is the most important action that this Congress can take to diffuse those claims and allow States to withdraw without punishment.

As for my strong personal opinion, I believe in higher standards, but I don't believe that Common Core is the answer. This goes way beyond the complaints of killing morale in the teaching profession. Much more importantly, this is about killing the morale for that student who is intelligent, pays attention in class, goes home and does their
homework. They are going to grow up to be a doctor or a lawyer or a successful businessman. They are being told that they are not proficient in reading--not because they are not proficient in reading, but because the rollout of Common Core has been a disaster.

We have 10-year-old special education students taking fifth grade tests even if they are reading at a first grade reading level. Or you can go on the EngageNY Web site and read about how first graders, the domain for English language arts, early world civilizations, they are learning about ancient world Mesopotamia and the strategic advantage of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers with regard to the development of the
city of Babylon--6-year-olds, first graders.

As a father of twin third grade girls, I believe in higher standards. I believe in challenging our students to excel and to aim as high as possible. But when it comes to all of America's children, there just shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all approach.

While some States embrace Common Core, not all States' needs are the same. My amendment would allow States currently using Common Core to opt out without punishment. Parents need to be in charge of their children's education, not unelected, faceless bureaucrats making unilateral decisions for the entire Nation.

A one-size-fits-all solution to education reform intensifies the problem, and it doesn't address our underlying issues. We want to provide the best possible opportunities for our children, and the people best positioned to make those decisions are our parents and our local educators.

I ask my colleagues to support my amendment, hear the concerns of our parents and educators, and heed the call to rescue our schoolchildren. It is like when they fall into the deep end of a pool, they don't have a lifejacket, they don't yet know how to swim. That is what it feels like for many of them.

This is a vote for residents in your district who aren't even old enough to vote. Fight for them and pass this amendment.

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