Action Alert | Urge Your Senator to Oppose H.J. Res. 57

Contact your Senator today, and urge them to oppose H.J. Res. 57. This resolution will overturn the regulation finalized by the Department of Education on November 29, 2016 that implements the Every Student Succeeds Act’s (ESSA’s) core requirement that schools be held accountable for the performance of all students, including those with disabilities. The regulation has strengthened the EESA through school accountability and state plans.

ESSA, passed in 2015 with bi-partisan support, also includes provisions “ensur[ing] that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students’ progress toward high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.” (www.ed.gov/essa) This final regulation includes students with disabilities, whose civil rights entitling them to equal access to a meaningful education are also in jeopardy under H.J. Res 57.

On February 7, 2017, the House of Representatives passed the bill that will overturn the ESSA accountability regulation. The bill has since been received by the Senate, which will vote soon. Contact your Senator and urge them to oppose H.J. Res. 57. Help protect the rights of students with disabilities!

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or click here to find your Senator’s phone and email.

“With this bill, we reaffirm that fundamentally American ideal—that every child, regardless of race, income, background, the zip code where they live, deserves the chance to make of their lives what they will.”

— Former President Barack Obama on the ESSA