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Read. Follow. Verify.Senate Hearing on Implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Record date · January 1, 2018
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What This Bill Does
This Senate committee hearing focused on how the U.S. Department of Education is implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Senators questioned Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. regarding concerns that the Department may be overstepping the law's intent to shift control from federal authorities to state and local school districts.
The hearing addresses the balance of power in education policy, specifically whether the Department of Education is adhering to new federal law that limits its authority to dictate state and local school standards, teacher evaluations, and school improvement plans.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
State and Local School Boards
These entities are the primary recipients of the authority devolved from the federal government under the new law.
U.S. Department of Education
The agency is subject to new legal prohibitions regarding its oversight and mandate-setting capabilities.
Key Facts
- The hearing was held on April 12, 2016, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
- The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed with significant bipartisan support (359-64 in the House; 85-12 in the Senate).
- The law is described as the largest devolution of education responsibility from the federal government to states in 25 years.
- The legislation includes explicit prohibitions on the Secretary of Education's authority to dictate state academic standards, teacher evaluations, and school improvement methods.
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- Chairman Lamar Alexander stated this is the second of at least six planned oversight hearings regarding ESSA implementation.
- The committee expressed concern that the Department of Education may be acting as a 'national school board' despite the new law's restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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News Coverage
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Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Federal-to-State Power Shift
The document highlights a deliberate legislative effort to reverse 25 years of federal centralization in education policy.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment20Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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