[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10659]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN EDUCATION

  Mrs. FISCHER. Mr. President, this summer parents across the country 
will be preparing their children for the coming school year. Whether 
unwinding on a family break, purchasing school supplies, returning 
summer reading books to the library or finishing summer camp, it will 
almost be time to go back to school.
  We owe so much to our hard-working educators. They are the role 
models for our children who provide invaluable life lessons that go 
well beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic. Years before I served in 
the Nebraska legislature, I served on my local school board, as 
president of the Nebraska Association of School Boards, and on the 
Nebraska School Finance Review Committee. These experiences helped 
shape my views on education policy as a state lawmaker, and they 
continue to inform my work here in the Senate.
  Nebraska is truly fortunate to have excellent schools. Each school 
district has unique strengths, and they face challenges that are 
specific to their schools and to the students. Because of this, 
parents, teachers, school boards, and communities are in the best 
position to know the needs of their students. They are an integral part 
of every child's academic success.
  That is why I believe education decisions are best made at the State 
and especially at the local level. The role of the Federal Government 
should be to promote policies that will improve the ability of 
individual States to meet the needs of their specific communities. To 
that end, I have worked with my colleagues, Senator King and Senator 
Tester, to offer an amendment promoting local governance in education.
  The purpose of this bipartisan amendment is simple: to ensure that 
our local school districts are not coerced into adopting misguided 
education requirements. It ensures that our local stakeholders have a 
stronger voice in both the regulatory and the guidance process. This 
amendment would ensure that communities have ultimate authority over 
their school districts. It also strengthens the relationship among 
school board members and parents.
  These changes are long overdue. We must limit Federal intrusion into 
local education policy. As we prepare for the first day of school, 
Nebraska is focused on providing students with a well-rounded 
education. We must ensure that our public policy enhances the classroom 
experience, provides essential resources to student success, and helps 
place our students on the path for successful futures.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.

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