By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Congresswoman Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery in an email to constituents said that it is time to reduce the federal government’s role in education because it isn’t working and promoted her Student Success Act as the solutions.
Representative Roby said,
“Like most parents, I believe we need excellent teachers in every classroom and inspired administrators in every school. But even the most gifted educator can be hamstrung by overreaching mandates and federal red tape. This top-down, ‘Washington-knows-best’ approach to education isn’t working, and it’s time to reduce the federal footprint in education.”
Rep. Roby said that the Student Success Act: “Would restore local control, support more effective teachers, and empower parents.” Roby said that the bill is expected to be up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives next week. Rep. Roby said, “I’m proud to have played a part in advancing this legislation, which includes language important to Alabama affirming the authority of states to determine curricula and set standards free from the coercive influence of the federal government.”
Roby wrote in the email that the legislation would also: returns responsibility for student achievement to local leaders, repeals the “AYP” program from the Bush era No Child Left Behind Act, supports local efforts to measure teacher effectiveness instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, and creates funding flexibility for local and state school systems, while consolidating a number of existing K-12 federal government programs.
Even if the Student Success Act is passed by the U.S. House of Representatives it faces an uncertain future in the U.S. Senate where Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid is allowing very few bills from the Republican controlled House to come to the floor of the Senate for a vote,
Many conservatives in Alabama are upset with the Common Core standards that have been adopted by the state of Alabama and are concerned that more and more education decisions are being made in Washington rather than in the state, which constitutionally is a state power.
Congresswoman Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
