Weekly Column: Teacher Appreciation Week

Statement

In addition to being National Small Business Week, this week is also Teacher Appreciation Week. Visiting schools and classrooms is one of my favorite things to do as a Congressman. In East Tennessee we're fortunate to have some of the best teachers in the country. I've seen firsthand how hard these educators work to provide their students with a quality education, and I'm proud that Governor Haslam has consistently made education a priority for our state. All of my children went through public schools in our area, and they've all gone on to succeed--in part because of the education they received.

I was encouraged by last year's TCAP results; nearly 50 percent of Algebra II students are now at grade level, up from the 31 percent in 2011. Achievement gaps for minority students have narrowed and approximately 100,000 additional Tennesseans are on grade level in math compared to 2010. Scores are improving and Tennessee is leading the way for other states by prioritizing education. While things continue to improve, it's clear there is more work to do. Did you know that one out of every five students drops out of high school?

When traveling around the district, I've spoken to many teachers who are frustrated by the bureaucracy they are forced to deal with. Many educators have expressed their concern that new requirements and federal regulations have left them less time to do what they love and do best, teach students. These are people who have dedicated their careers to educating children. I know many who have spent nights and weekends working on lesson plans and used their own funds to buy items for their classrooms or for students whose families cannot afford supplies.

I strongly believe we must return control to the local level. Just as a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work for health care reform, it will not work for education. Each state, school district and student are different, and local administrators, teachers and parents--not the federal government--should make decisions based on what's best for their students. It is telling that, at a time when the federal government is more involved in K-12 education than ever before, student success is slow to improve. No Child Left Behind was well-intentioned, but it's past time to reform this flawed law. H.R. 5, the Student Success Act would do just that. I know there's been quite a bit of misinformation floating around about what the bill does and doesn't do, so I wanted to share a few facts.

The most important thing that the Student Success Act does is return important decision-making power to the states. It replaces the national accountability system with a state-led one, ensuring local leaders have a chance to weigh in. It also eliminates more than 65 duplicative, expensive and unnecessary programs and replaces them with a Local Academic Flexible Grant, providing funding for school systems to better serve and support their students.

I also hear strong concern from parents, educators and administrators about the Common Core curriculum standards. The standards started out a collaborative initiative of state educators, but the administration began requiring states to adopt the standards in order to get additional federal funds. H.R. 5 would prevent the Secretary of Education from forcing states to adopt Common Core and give state legislators the freedom to make their own decisions about what standards work best for their states. If we fail to act, however, the administration can continue coercing states, so it's critical we come to agreement to return decision-making to the state and local level.

Our teachers are some of the most important people in our children and grandchildren's lives, and it is my job as a Congressman and a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee to give them the tools they need to make their work easier, not harder. This Teacher Appreciation Week, I am extremely grateful to all the educators in the First District and around the country and I hope you'll join me in thanking them for a job well done.

Feel free to contact my office if we can be of assistance to you or your family.

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