States

State Group: ESEA Bills ‘Seriously Flawed’

October 10, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Following are excerpts from a Sept. 26 letter the National Conference of State Legislatures sent to Congress, criticizing various aspects of pending legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

“We write to express the concerns of America’s state legislatures regarding both the House and Senate versions of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. After careful review, we have reluctantly come to the conclusion that critical parts of both S1 and HR1 are seriously and perhaps irreparably flawed.”

“The testing requirement at the heart of both bills is an egregious example of a top-down, one-size-fits-all federal reform. There is no compelling or convincing argument that an effective accountability system must include annual testing in multiple subjects.”

“The requirement to use a standardized statewide testing instrument ignores successful state accountability systems that use a combination of state and local testing.”

“We commend the spirit and dedication of the president and members and leaders of Congress who worked diligently to pass HR1 and S1. ... The goals, concepts, and issues raised in the legislation are inarguably important and have been discussed and addressed in many of the states. However, in this case we feel that expediency has triumphed over good policy.”

“State budgets, particularly those dependent on sales taxes, are reeling from the recent economic downturn. ...We fear that compliance with the federal mandates may be undercut unless states severely reduce other vital areas of their budgets.”

Related Tags:

Events

Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management
Moving the Needle on Attendance: What’s Working NOW
See how family engagement is improving attendance, and how to put it to work in schools.
Content provided by TalkingPoints

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States Oklahoma Will Cut Funding to Districts That Don't Sign Trump's Anti-DEI Pledge
The state says it will withhold federal funds from districts that don't sign a Trump administration DEI pledge.
8 min read
Ryan Walters, Republican state superintendent candidate, speaks, June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters is pictured on June 28, 2022, in Oklahoma City when he was a candidate for the position he now holds. Walters this week told districts he would halt federal funding beginning Friday, April 25, if they don't certify they're not using diversity, equity, and inclusion programming in schools.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
States Tracker 'Illegal' DEI: See Which States Are Telling Trump Their Schools Don't Use It
The Education Department wants states and schools to sign a certification saying they don't use DEI. Here's how they're responding so far.
6 min read
DEI Removal 042025 506859558 1481700088
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty
States Opinion How One State Improved Its NAEP Scores
Louisiana's state schools chief discusses the importance of reading and math instruction and "letting teachers teach."
6 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
States Lawmakers Want to Fix Student Absenteeism With Ice Cream Parties, Data, and More
State lawmakers have introduced dozens of bills aiming to make school attendance a priority.
3 min read
New canvas school bags hanging on the backs of empty classroom student chairs in a large modern classroom
iStock/Getty Images