Scott: DeVos Dropped the Ball on ESSA Guidance

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' agency has done little to help states understand the Every Student Succeeds Act and their responsibilities under the law, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said this morning.

That's despite her concerns over what she said on Monday is a lack of ambition in state plans developed under the law, Scott, the top Democrat on the House education committee, noted.

States "haven’t been given adequate guidance from the Education Department," Scott told the National Association of State Boards of Education's legislative conference.

The Trump administration "has done little to empower you to be aware of the law’s requirements," said Scott. "It’s the federal government’s responsibility to help states comply with the law and I don’t think the Education Department has met that responsibility."

Kristen Amundson, president of NASBE, said DeVos has sent conflicting messages about state education plans.

The Trump administration signaled to states from the outset that federal officials wouldn't be overly critical of those plans. And while DeVos has signed off on more than 30 states — and has said she'll continue to do so as long as they comply with the law — she said on Monday that too many of them appear to be written with just compliance in mind.

"To say that there have been mixed messages about the plans would be true because at one point the secretary said she’ll sign anything that you send," Amundson told her members.

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