Veasey Statement on Every Student Succeeds Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, released the following statement after voting in favor of S. 1177, Every Student Succeeds Act:

"Today's landmark legislation is a major step forward in providing a quality education to every student no matter their background. While the agreement is not perfect, I am confident that schools across the DFW Metroplex will benefit from the flexibility provided to local school districts and the increased funds to identify and address the needs of vulnerable students."

"Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) represents a strong bipartisan compromise that ensures that all students have access to a quality education and that teachers have the resources they need to support all students. It also makes strong investments to improve and expand access to preschool for our youngest learners. This major overhaul of the K-12 education system is meant to correct the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) measures that hurt students, teachers, parents, and minority communities across the country. By replacing those provisions with a statewide accountability system and increasing flexible funds to serve at-risk students, school districts will be able to determine how to allocate their resources to close achievement gaps and intervene to meet their students' needs. Along with providing additional resources for at-risk populations like English language learners, ESSA maintains and strengthens critical programs to support important priorities for students in the DFW Metroplex including afterschool programming, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, expanded pre-school access, and improving teacher quality."

"Every Student Succeeds maintains the federal government's commitment to quality education for all, while giving educators the flexibility they need to address their students' unique needs. Access to a quality education is one of the most powerful tools we can offer low-income communities to move into the middle class. We are another step closer to ensuring that the American Dream remains an attainable goal for students regardless of where they live."