HR 5 (Student Success Act) Follow Up

Here's the latest message from the Council for Exceptional Children to everyone working with students with special needs about the Student Success Act (HR5):

This bill contains loopholes for students with disabilities so large you can drive a bus through them.

-- Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) during the HR 5 debate, July 19, 2013

 

Dear CEC Members:

 

Loopholes.  Low expectations.  Exclusion from accountability and assessments.  Significant step backwards.

 

These were just some of the concerns for students with disabilities raised by Members of Congress during the debate last week about the Student Success Act (HR 5), legislation that rewrites the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  (See related Policy Insider Blog story here)

Thank you for answering our call to contact your Representative to oppose HR 5! In just three days leading up to the vote, hundreds of offices on Capitol Hill heard from CEC members!

 

Unfortunately, HR 5 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 221-207.  

 

Fortunately, President Obama has said that he will veto this bill if it comes to his desk.

 

While this was not our desired outcome, members of Congress from both political parties raised significant concerns about  HR 5’s negative impact on students with disabilities, which resulted in a commitment from Chairman Kline – the bill’s lead negotiator – to work to better address these issues as the bill progresses through the legislative process, which has a long road ahead. Read CEC’s list of concerns about HR 5 here.

 

HR 5 represents a very different vision from the Senate’s version of the bill, which has passed the Senate Education Committee but has not been considered by the full Senate. To become law, the many differences between the two bills will have to be worked out once the Senate acts.  Read CEC’s full recap of the HR 5 debate and CEC’s letter about the Senate bill.

 

In the coming weeks, we will need more voices and more outreach!  Be on the lookout for future CEC Action Alerts, and in the meantime, keep informed by reading CEC’s Policy Insider Blog and follow us on twitter @CECAdvocacy.

 

Thank you again – your outreach brought students with disabilities into the HR 5 debate!  

 

-- CEC’s Policy and Advocacy Team