Rounds Applauds Senate Passage of Education Reauthorization Bill

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today applauded the Senate passage of the bipartisan Every Child Achieves Act (ECAA), which included his Native American education amendment. It passed 81-17.

“I’m pleased the Senate came together to pass this important education reform bill,” said Rounds. “The Every Child Achieves Act lets states and local school boards decide the best curriculum for their students. ECAA eliminates ‘one-size-fits-all’ mandates and removes burdensome waiver requirements that have plagued our education system. Passage of the ECAA is a win for parents, teachers, state and local governments and most importantly, students.”

The ECAA passed out of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously earlier this year. It replaces No Child Left Behind, which expired in 2007. It allows states to set their own academic standards and will end the federal government’s ability to mandate or incentivize states to adopt or maintain any particular set of standards.