WASHINGTON -- An overhaul of federal education policy is headed to the president's desk after the Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass a long-overdue sequel to No Child Left Behind.
The Student Success Act passed, 85-12, with both Georgia Republicans Johnny Isakson and David Perdue in support, after House passage last week. President Barack Obama is scheduled Thursday morning to sign the bill, the result of years of negotiations and tension over the federal role in K-12 education.
Here's how our AJC colleague Ty Tagami describes the bill on the premium site:
Though it is a retreat from an aggressive vision of federal intervention that grew from civil rights legislation decades ago, this law is being hailed as a success by Democrats and even, more guardedly, by civil rights proponents, who say they don't love the bill but do like parts of it.
Isakson, who helped write 2001's No Child Left Behind and the new law, said in a statement that it strikes the right balance:
"With the passage of this bill, we end one chapter in education and open a new chapter. A chapter that focuses on student improvement, student achievement and sees to it that every child can succeed. This bill will make sure we disaggregate so we can focus on every child as they perform within their own groups in every school in America. I'm honored to have been a member of the committee that worked hard on this bill for every student, every superintendent, every teacher and every parent in America."
Perdue pointed to the bill's removal of federal carrots and sticks that helped institute the controversial Common Core standards across the country. (Georgia was well ahead of the game, as Common Core was initiated by Perdue's cousin Gov. Sonny Perdue.)
Said David Perdue:
"Parents, teachers, and students don't want Washington micromanaging their education decisions. As the son of two school teachers, I know there is still more work to do, but this is a significant step in the right direction. Our children should not have to wait another school year for Congress to take action."
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