Kirk Receives Highest Score from Top Public Education Association

Received an “A” Rating from National Education Association for His Work on Education 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) announced he received a perfect score, an “A” rating, from the National Education Association. This announcement follows enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan bill including Kirk-driven policies to expand Pre-K, promote year-round schools, increase accountability for charter schools and improve education for military families. 

“After years of failed policies through No Child Left Behind, Congress finally got the hint – teachers and parents are best equipped to help students – not the federal government,” Senator Kirk said.  

As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he is the only Illinois delegation member that oversees education policy in Congress. He served as one of 39 conferees to shepherd ESSA through the committee and conference process. ESSA was signed into law on December 10, 2015.

“It is heartening to see the strong bipartisan support that’s been given the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. We are especially grateful for Sen. Mark Kirk’s support of ESSA, which strikes the right balance between the respective roles of federal, state and local governments in formulating education policy,” Illinois Education Association Vice President Kathi Griffin wrote in the Joliet Herald-News.

Improving Access to Resources

• The final law contains some of the indicators states and districts can use to help struggling school districts improve student performance, language derived directly from an amendment Senator Kirk offered based on an “opportunity dashboard of indicators for student success.”
• Whether its access to paraprofessionals or school counselors, these metrics will help states prioritize assistance for the neediest students.

Expanding Pre-K Options for Parents and Districts

• The Senator championed a change in policy that increases current Pre-K grants and expands districts’ abilities to coordinate with Head Start. 
• Under current law, school districts can’t coordinate with Head Start or use federal funds for Pre-K programs. Building on the success of Head Start in Illinois, where 60 percent of four-year-olds are already enrolled, these new grants will allow for coordination of existing programs and provide children in need access to Pre-K. 
• This new funding is authorized under the Department of Health and Human Services and does not use funding from existing K-12 programs.  

Extending Learning Time Through Year-Round Calendars

• Under the bill, Title I funds can now be used to extend a school’s learning time and move to a year-round calendar. Also included are funds for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which provide academic support during non-school hours. 
• These funds echo the priorities outlined in Senator Kirk’s All-Year School Study Act, which promotes year-round elementary and secondary school programs and would utilize existing funds through the Fund for the Improvement of Education.

Testing

• Under previous testing requirements, educators and families were hamstrung by federal overreach and unnecessary testing.
• Now, if a state or district allows a student to opt out, they and their parents are free to make that choice.
• More importantly, testing no longer results in excessive, arbitrary penalties, such as losing critical funding.