Obama Signs Every Student Succeeds Act, Returning Power to States

President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95), reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replacing No Child Left Behind. The bipartisan law passed the House 359-64 and the Senate 85-12, shifting authority over school accountability, teacher evaluation, and standards back to states. ESSA preserved federal Title I funding (~$15 billion at signing) and the requirement to test in reading and math, but stripped the Education Secretary's power to dictate state accountability plans.