[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 171 (Thursday, November 19, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S8164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DAINES (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Lee, Mr. 
        Rubio, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Vitter, and Mr. Johnson):
  S. 2310. A bill to allow a State to submit a declaration of intent to 
the Secretary of Education to combine certain funds to improve the 
academic achievement of students; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, as a fifth-generation Montanan and product 
of Montana public schools, I understand how important a first rate 
education is to our kids' future. By increasing local control of our 
schools and lessening the influence Washington bureaucrats, we can 
provide States with the flexibility needed to meet the unique needs of 
our students and communities. That is why I am introducing the Academic 
Partnerships Lead Us to Success, or A-PLUS, Act. By shifting control 
back to the states, individual and effective solutions can be created 
to address the multitude of unique challenges facing schools across the 
country. Through these ``laboratories of democracy,'' Americans can 
watch and learn how students can benefit when innovative reforms are 
implemented on the local level. The A-PLUS Act would give states 
greater flexibility in allocating federal education funding and 
ensuring academic achievement in their schools. With A-PLUS, States 
would be freed from unworkable teacher standards, Washington-knows-best 
performance metrics, and onerous Federal testing requirements that have 
failed to bring about promised improvements in academic achievement. 
States would be held accountable by parents and teachers because a 
bright light would shine directly on the decisions made by State 
capitals and local school districts. With freedom from Federal mandates 
comes more responsibility, transparency, and accountability on States. 
States would need to adhere to all civil rights laws and work towards 
advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged children as well. 
This legislation would go a long ways towards returning the 
responsibility for our kids' education closer to home and reduces the 
influence of the Federal Government over our classrooms. I want to 
thank Senators Grassley, Cruz, Lee, Rubio, Lankford, and Perdue for 
being original cosponsors of this bill and I ask my other Senate 
colleagues to join us in support of this legislation.
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