Miller Statement on 11th Anniversary of No Child Left Behind Act
WASHINGTON –Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today marking the 11th Anniversary of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and urged Republicans to work in a bipartisan manner to reauthorize the law. Miller has been working in a bipartisan manner since 2007 to rewrite the law so that it works better for our nation’s students and families.
“Eleven years ago Congress turned the lights on in our schools when it enacted the No Child Left Behind Act. Prior to NCLB only a handful of states had access to data that showed student achievement broken down by gender, ethnicity, disability, income, or English proficiency. The rest of the country was largely in the dark on how children were faring. Thanks to NCLB, the evidence is irrefutable that all kids can learn if given an opportunity to succeed, regardless of their zip code or income. However, NCLB is outdated and is restraining schools from making the kinds of innovative improvements needed to benefit students.
“Congress’ failure to rewrite NCLB has left our nation with a patchwork of state systems and temporary relief from specific provisions of the law. The 113th Congress has a key role to play to ensure that all students have access to a top-quality education, from early childhood to higher education, that prepares them to succeed in the 21st century global economy. It’s time that Congress works together to get things done on behalf of the American people. I look forward to working with Chairman Kline and House Republicans in a bipartisan manner to help reshape the future of this country by fixing NCLB and ensuring a world-class education for every single child in this country.”
Next Article