The FINANCIAL -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on March 15 urged Congress to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) this year on a bipartisan basis and believes the Department of Education’s Blueprint for Education Reform: Reauthorizing the ESEA is an important first step in the process.
“The Blueprint’s focus on college- and career-ready standards and competitive grant funding are great starting points for discussion,” said Arthur J. Rothkopf, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Now is the time to update and improve the ESEA – providing more transparency, increased accountability, and expanded choice for children and parents. A robust system of accountability is central to effective reform.”
“The focus on improving student achievement and rewarding effective teaching are goals we can all agree on,” continued Rothkopf. “As we move forward, the business community will encourage elected officials at the federal, state, and local level to establish strong accountability and measurement systems that properly evaluate these goals. Developing high academic standards, recognizing and rewarding effective teaching, and then evaluating performance based on student achievement are necessary for true reform to occur.”
Related Stories
