[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 33 (Thursday, February 26, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H1175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE SO-CALLED STUDENT SUCCESS ACT

  (Mr. GIBSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. GIBSON. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, I will be voting against H.R. 589, 
the so-called Student Success Act. Although there are some positive 
reforms regarding empowerment of local schools that my constituents 
support in the bill, major problems with the bill remain.
  For example, sadly, we have done nothing to roll back the onerous 
high-stakes testing regime that has led to a ``teaching to the test'' 
culture in our schools, and I want my parents, teachers, 
administrators, and students to know that I am listening and taking 
action.
  I offered a bipartisan amendment to roll back to pre-No Child Left 
Behind levels testing requirements. Essentially, it would have cut 
Federal testing requirements in half that we hope would have been a 
catalyst for States to cut their tests as well, but for the second 
straight year, that amendment has been ruled out of order, despite the 
fact that this is so important to the American people.
  The fight continues. As this bill moves to the Senate, we have allies 
there that are interested in empowerment and properly resourcing 
schools, and I look forward to working with them to get in the bill 
that the American people will support and we can enact.

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