Dear editor:
This week, Congress passed historic legislation to fix No Child Left Behind and permanently end Washington’s Common Core mandate. The Every Student Succeeds Act will return decisions about education to where they belong – with those closest to the children.
I believe our children receive the best possible education when decisions are made at the local and state level. This bill does just that – puts an end to Washington mandates and allows Kansans to make their own decisions about how to improve education.
Included in the bill is legislation I introduced that permanently ends the federal government’s ability to use any incentive or tool of coercion to force states to adopt Common Core – or any set of standards.
Washington has no business dictating to states and school districts what is best for their students. We can now finally say goodbye to federal interference in what we teach our kids in school.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.