Statement by the Press Secretary on Bipartisan Efforts to Replace the No Child Left Behind Act

Today’s announcement from Senator Alexander and Senator Murray is an important step in their bipartisan effort to replace the No Child Left Behind Act. As Congress continues its work, President Obama will continue to insist on providing our schools with greater flexibility to invest in what works, making sure that teachers aren’t confined to teaching to the test, putting resources behind innovation in our education system, and expanding opportunities for America’s children to attend high-quality preschool. We believe that any bill should ensure that teachers and parents know how their schools are doing every year, reject harmful proposals that would let states take away funding from schools that need it most, and make sure we remain committed to closing troubling achievement and opportunity gaps in America’s schools and driving progress in those that are the lowest-performing.