Congress Takes Important Steps to Lessen Federal Footprint in Education. President Trump just signed two GOP-led measures that block key Obama-era education regulations.

President Trump just signed two GOP-led measures that block key Obama-era education regulations. https://t.co/p49GFwEthT

— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) March 27, 2017

...Using the oversight authority granted to it by the Congressional Review Act, the Senate passed resolutions of disapproval for accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act and regulations for teacher preparation programs. These resolutions now proceed to President Donald Trump.

The use of the Congressional Review Act to roll back these regulations provides immediate relief for states and schools. It also prevents the Department of Education from promulgating substantially similar regulations in the future without congressional approval....

We have tried the accountability-enforced-from-Washington model for the last 15 years under No Child Left Behind, and it hasn’t worked.

The Senate’s vote against the Obama-era accountability regulations is a step in the right direction, though it still leaves significant power in the hands of the federal government. As Heritage Foundation expert Lindsey Burke noted upon passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, good intentions still produced a mediocre law.

The Every Student Succeeds Act missed the opportunity for real reform by maintaining dozens of ineffective programs and high levels of federal spending, and by failing to incorporate the policies contained in the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) provision.

One of the strengths of our federal system is the possibility of innovation and experimentation in the decentralized context of the states. The A-PLUS provision would allow states to opt out of the complex federal regulatory environment and direct dollars toward any education purposed allowed under state law.

Pres Trump signs 4 bills nullifying Obama Admin regulations including 3 he called "federal power grabs" in land management & education. pic.twitter.com/fi6CeJpSPU

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 27, 2017

Common core can be repealed by repealing No Child Left Behind which is how Obama is forcing common core on the states

second Ted Cruz question of the day. this time on common core.

— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) March 25, 2015

yes, common core can be repealed by repealing No Child Left Behind which is how Obama is forcing common core on the states.

— Conn Carroll (@conncarroll) March 25, 2015

This teacher is speaking out about Common Core as a "conscientious objector." You will want to read her statement before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

◼ Lee, a fifth grade special education teacher, told the committee, chaired by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), that over 50% of the parents at The Earth School refused to allow their children to take the Common Core aligned English/Language Arts and Math tests and said her school was not alone. - Paul Bollard/PJMedia

...Lee joins other teachers in New York City who object to “market-based education reform” and are refusing to administer high stakes tests as an “act of conscience.” There is also a growing opt-out movement throughout the country that encourages parents to refuse to allow their children to take Common Core and other high stakes tests. Parents and teachers object to the testing for a wide variety of reasons. Nearly everyone thinks too much classroom time is devoted to testing and test preparation. And while parents are concerned about data collection related to the tests and the testing anxiety their children experience, teachers often object to having the tests tied to their performance evaluations as well as the corporate influence in test development and in the adoption of the Common Core standards.

You can read Lee’s written testimony here.