Chairman Scott Statement on 5th Anniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
“Five years ago, we came together to pass the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) with the intent of bringing our country one step closer to achieving equity in education – the promise enshrined in the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The decision declared that:
‘In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if . . . deniedopportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.’
“Regrettably, in the five years since ESSA’s passage, the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have shown little interest in enforcing the equity guardrails at the heart of the law. Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the achievement gaps that ESSA intended to close are widening and students are experiencing learning loss at staggering rates. As we approach the 117th Congress, the incoming Biden Administration must partner with Congress to breathe new life into ESSA and restore our commitment to finally realizing the promise of equitable education for all.”
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