Statement from Superintendent Richard Woods regarding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

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December 9, 2015 – Statement from State School Superintendent Richard Woods regarding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act:

“While I would have preferred more time to review this legislation before it passed, I am pleased that with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Congress saw what we at the state and local levels have seen for years: we test way too much and the federal government has taken over education, which is a Constitutional obligation of states and local districts. As I stated early on in my term, we must balance accountability with responsibility. That is why several months ago I called for a testing audit to determine ways we could eliminate unnecessary testing at the state and local levels. My team and I will look carefully at this new legislation and move forward with some of our already implemented actions to provide relief from over-testing and over-burdensome accountability. Now that the federal government has provided states with flexibility, we as a state must act in the interests of our students and teachers.”