Ferguson votes to block ‘federal overreach’ into local education

Third District U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) voted for two House joint resolutions Tuesday which he said would block two Department of Education rules “expanding federal government overreach,” according to a release.

H.J. Res. 57 overturns a rule that outlined nationwide accountability measures rather than allowing state and local leaders to determine their own accountability standards for local schools, the release said.

“I’ve spoken with education leaders in the Third District and in places like Troup and Fayette Counties, and they were very pleased with the new flexibility written into the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act passed last Congress,” Ferguson said in the release. “They told me that they supported the law because it granted the power to states and local leaders to decide what accountability measures work best for students. However, as time went on, they expressed great concern as the Department of Education began writing this accountability regulation. The accountability measures that work for my home state of Georgia won’t always be what works for students elsewhere.”

H.J. Res. 58 prevents the Department of Education from setting a one-size-fits-all method of evaluating teacher preparation programs, according to the release.

“We should not hand down an unfunded mandate that requires states to sink funds into a complex teacher preparation program rating system,” Ferguson said. “This regulation may very well make it more difficult for teacher preparation programs to grow, harming the ability of prospective teachers to enter the profession and educate our children.”

Under the Congressional Review Act, Congress has the ability to overturn recently finalized federal regulations with a joint resolution passed by both chambers and signed by the president.

H.J. Res. 57 passed by a vote of 234-190, and H.J. Res. 58 passed by a vote of 240-181. Both resolutions now move to the Senate for consideration.

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 8:45 AM with the headline "Ferguson votes to block ‘federal overreach’ into local education."