Hillary Clinton Statement on Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act

"Today we saw what is possible in America when Congress puts its partisan interests aside and works towards making high-quality education a priority for every child. The Every Student Succeeds Act is not perfect, but it puts us on a path to provide states and teachers flexibility to serve the needs of their students while also ensuring schools are held accountable to raise achievement for all students—particularly for low-income students, students of color, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities. The bill retains a commitment to high academic standards, enables communities to strike a better balance on testing, requires districts and states to take action to turn around struggling schools, and allows states to take a holistic approach when measuring school success.

"The legislation also authorizes critical resources to support teacher development, increase access to early childhood education, and expand high-quality public charter schools. While today represents important bipartisan progress, we must be mindful of the work that lies ahead. Effectively implementing this law will take commitment and cooperation—by our parents, teachers, schools and states. It will also require that the federal government continue to play a critical role in working towards an America where a world-class education is available to every child. That includes overseeing the design and implementation of effective state accountability systems. It also requires that funding be provided for the promises laid out in this legislation, and that we work together to increase our investment in universal preschool and other early learning initiatives, so that every child can start school ready to build on the strong start they gained before Kindergarten. Only then, will the Every Student Succeeds Act live up to the vital promise that its title bears."