Stand for Children Tennessee Commends Final Passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act
—Civil Rights bill hasn’t been reauthorized in since 2001—
MEMPHIS, TN – Stand for Children Tennessee Memphis City Director, Cardell Orrin, issued the following statement today following President Obama signing the much-anticipated Every Student Succeeds Act, legislation which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA):
“The passage of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a step in the right direction towards the intent of the original ESEA, a civil rights bill designed to hold states responsible for providing equitable educational opportunities for all children. We are pleased with the assurance that all children will be accounted for and given a chance at a successful life through the opportunity of an excellent education.
But with the move to give states greater autonomy, our message is this: with great flexibility comes great responsibility. The federal government have done their part. It’s now up to us as Tennesseans to ensure that all Tennessee students receive a fair, high-quality education. It is imperative that we stay hyper-vigilant for our most underserved students to ensure they are receiving the supports needed to graduate from high school on time, prepared for college or career. We cannot allow a bare minimum of expectations to be the norm when it comes to the education of our children.
Stand for Children Tennessee looks forward to working with education leaders and elected officials, partners, educators, parents, and community members to keep strong accountability locally in our collective work to build an excellent public education system for all.”
-Cardell Orrin, Stand for Children Tennessee
Stand for Children Tennessee is a nonprofit, parent- and community-based organization that works to ensure that all children graduate from high school prepared for and with access to a college education. Visit www.stand.org/tennessee
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