WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today voted in favor of a measure to reform the nation’s K-12 education system and prohibit federal mandates such as Common Core. The bill, the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” was championed by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash. It received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate with a vote of 85-12. It now awaits President Obama’s signature to become law.

“This bill would be the greatest transfer of federal power back to the states in 25 years and would reflect real reform within our broken education system,” Wicker said. “This is a huge accomplishment that puts students’ chances of success first. For the past several years, the Department of Education has been acting as a de facto National School Board. Education decisions should be in the hands of those who know best – parents, teachers, and governors.”

Highlights of the “Every Student Succeeds Act” include:

• Reducing the federal role in K-12 education by restoring responsibility to states, local officials, teachers, and parents.
• Restricting the Secretary of Education from mandating, directing, or controlling curriculum or standards.
• Ending waivers from No Child Left Behind, which currently include 42 states and D.C.
• Reducing over-testing and providing states with the responsibility for deciding how the test results are used to measure student achievement and school success.
• Increasing school choice by strengthening federal support for expanding high-quality charter schools with a demonstrated record of success.
• Consolidating almost 50 K-12 education programs.