[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S5206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        EVERY CHILD ACHIEVES ACT

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, it is clear to me that No Child Left 
Behind was broken and that it was not serving the best interest of 
children in Michigan or the rest of the country. That is why I voted to 
support the passage of the Every Child Achieves Act, which moves away 
from high stakes testing and puts decisions on education back in the 
hands of our States, school districts, parents, and the teachers, who 
are in the best position to make those decisions.
  However, I continue to have reservations about the Every Child 
Achieves Act, particularly the changes to formulas that govern how 
resources are allocated. The bill as drafted will reduce the support 
that Michigan schools have for recruiting teachers and school leaders 
at the same time as it reduces support for their professional 
development. It also cuts the future resources dedicated to the 
education of the most vulnerable low-income children in Michigan, 
sending that money to other States, using a formula that effectively 
rewards States for investing less in education. It is wrong to take 
resources away from one set of children and give them to another, and 
then call it equity.
  While I appreciate the efforts of the Senator from North Carolina to 
change his original amendment, the modified version would still have a 
negative impact on the children of Michigan. This is the reason I voted 
no on this amendment.
  As this bill continues to conference committee, I intend to continue 
to fight to ensure that every child in Michigan has the best possible 
access to quality public education and that Michigan is treated fairly 
in the funding formulas.

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