State Lawmakers Welcome New Federal Education Law

Wyoming lawmakers are joining the state’s schools chief in praising the new federal education law that returns to the states the responsibility of measuring school performance. The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed by President Obama last week. Senate Education Chairman Hank Coe has worked to put a state system in place to keep schools accountable. In a news conference Coe said the state is prepared for the new federal law. “We are ahead of the curve in accountability,” says Coe. “And accountability is about the customer, which is kids. So, I’m just very very pleased with the flexibility that the ESSA does—coming back to the state level, to make things better for our customers, which are kids.” The new goes into effect in the 2017-2018 school year. The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces No Child Left Behind as the latest version of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act.