Deutch Rejects No Child Left Behind Reauthorization

Statement

Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21) voted against H.R. 5, House Republican leaders' proposed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), which was last passed as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The legislation, which passed by a vote of 218-213, was opposed by more than 60 organizations, including the National Education Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Federation of Teachers, the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).

"Like most Florida parents, I am all-too familiar with the harmful provisions of No Child Left Behind, which imposed high-stakes testing on our children, burdened teachers with restrictive requirements, and punished the schools most in need of our help," said Congressman Ted Deutch.

"Unfortunately, House Republicans' so-called Student Success Act fails to improve funding for our public schools or remedy the ills of Child Left Behind. Instead, this partisan-driven bill shifts education funding for impoverished communities to wealthier school districts while locking in harmful federal spending cuts for another decade.

"This legislation undermines the entire historical mission of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which Congress passed in 1965 to combat the widespread inequities present in our school system. I voted against H.R. 5 because it abandons our promise as a country to provide a first-rate education to every American child, and I will continue to work for policies that ensure low-income students or students with disabilities are not disadvantaged in the classroom, that provide teachers and administrators with the resources they need to do their jobs, and that improve cooperation between the schools and the communities they serve."

H.R. 5 funds education at $800 million less than 2012 levels and fails to account for inflationary costs or the fact that 3.2 million students that will be enrolled before this bill expires in 2021. In the 2016 period, this legislation would reduce federal funds directed to Florida by $33 million. Funding for Title I schools, which are schools with low-income students that comprise at least 40% of its student body, would drop by $1.3 million for Palm Beach County School District and $4.1 million in the Broward School District, as compared to fiscal year 2014 figures.

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