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Blanket
federal
mandates
such
as
Common
Core
lead
to
Washington
bureaucrats
making
educational
choices
for
students
across
the
country
Washington –
U.S.
Senator
Tim
Scott
(R-SC)
offered
an
amendment
today
to
empower
individual
states
and
local
school
districts,
not
Washington
bureaucrats,
to
make
educational
decisions
for
their
students.
Scott
introduced
his
amendment
during
a
Senate
Health,
Education,
Labor
and
Pensions
Committee
hearing
on
the
Strengthening
America’s
Schools
Act
(S.
1094).
“As
someone
who
almost
failed
out
of
high
school,
I
know
firsthand
the
importance
of
empowering
parents
and
teachers
to
make
a
difference
in
students’
lives,”
said
Senator
Scott.
“A
one-size-fits-all
approach
from
Washington
is
not
the
right
solution
for
helping
kids
who
face
challenges
like
I
did,
and
it
is
not
the
best
way
to
prepare
them
for
success
after
finishing
school.”
Scott
continued,
“South
Carolina
faces
challenges
in
its
education
system
that
are
unique
and
unlike
those
in
other
states.
Instead
of
being
forced
to
adopt
blanket
standards
like
Common
Core
as
a
prerequisite
for
funding,
let’s
put
decision-making
back
in
the
hands
of
parents
and
teachers
in
our
communities.”
Scott’s
amendment
would
prevent
the
U.S.
Department
of
Education
from
requiring
states
or
local
school
districts
to
adopt
common
standards
or
tests.
This
includes
adoption
of
those
standards
as
a
condition
of
federal
grants
or
flexibility
waivers.
The
amendment
would
allow
states
to
determine
and
create
those
standards
and
tests
on
their
own
rather
than
receiving
a
one-size-fits-all
prescription
from
the
federal
government.
The
Strengthening
America’s
Schools
Act,
introduced
by
Senator
Tom
Harkin
(D-IA),
rewrites
the
nation’s
K-12
education
laws,
and
is
a
reauthorization
of
the
Elementary
and
Secondary
Education
Act
(ESEA)
of
1965.
The
amendment
failed
by
a
vote
of
10-12.
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