ECCA Floor Debate Delayed

As for efforts to move the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act forward, rumors were plentiful and conflicting all week. On Monday, the education community was gearing up for House and Senate floor action on S. 1177 and H.R. 5 by week’s end. Now it looks like Senate debate is more likely to take place in July. There’s still a chance that the Student Success Act (HR 5) could be on the House floor before the end of next week and the start of a week-long July 4 recess, but early July seems more likely for House activity as well. It appears that July 4th fireworks will come before a floor debate of K-12 federal education policy. They will probably be more fun, too.


Civil rights and education advocates continue to call for Fixes to ECAA, Every Child Achieves Act, the Senate bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). A coalition of groups is coalescing around the four fixes to the bill, which include strengthening accountability for schools and districts to educate all groups of students, including students of color, students with disabilities, low-income students, and English learners; improved data collection; mandates for states to close disparities in resources for high-poverty schools; and sufficient oversight from the U.S. Department of Education. Thirty-six groups signed on to a letter to the Senate this week urging these fixes. Read the letter here, and learn how to take action here.