Contact Nathaniel Grabau
Cell 303-709-4003
Email CommunicationsDirector@LPColorado.org
Website www.LPColorado.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2015
THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO CONDEMNS THE U.S. SENATE VOTE FOR THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT
The State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Colorado, Lily Tang Williams, issues the following statement condemning the US Senate’s vote to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—a bill that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which is the legislation governing federal K-12 education policy. The vote count was 85 Yea, 12 Nay, 3 not voting.
“The passage of this legislation of 1063 pages (without enough time for reading it) is one of the largest expansions of Federal government into education. It signifies troubling beliefs on the part of both Republicans and Democrats when it comes to education. It demonstrates that Republicans don’t truly believe in limited government, fiscal responsibility, local control, parental rights, and the privacy of students, families, and teachers; and that Democrats do not value freedom of choice, teacher autonomy, and the well-being of both students and hard-working teachers. Neither of the major parties is concerned about authentic academia or education that would create equal opportunity for all. This legislation is solely about control and special interests as well as doubling down on more failed centralized Federal control and authority similar to Common Core, Race to the Top, and No Child Left Behind. The result is government-managed schools designed to mold minds suited to a work-force assembly line that only benefits entrenched cronyism and not a creatively vibrant free market.
As a Chinese immigrant mother who suffered through centralized and nationalized education, standards, assessments, data collection, and indoctrination under Mao’s regime, I strongly condemn the passing of ESSA and the Federal government’s intrusion into education. What the Federal government is doing to education and to all the children in America is similar to what the Communist government is doing in China. This Bill is not Constitutional, and its passing shows us that both parties have forgotten what this country is founded on and sold us out to special interests. This piece of disastrous legislation eliminates the sovereign jurisdiction of the State of Colorado, our local community, and parents when it comes to education. As the next election cycle approaches, please thoughtfully consider voting for Libertarian candidates. The time is now for change.”
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