Reauthorize Elementary & Secondary Education Act

In the seven-year debate over reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Republicans and Democrats have repeatedly failed to bridge multiple philosophical divides: local control vs. national standards, innovation vs. proven solutions, and individual responsibility vs. environmental hurdles.

As two nonprofits working to educate traditionally disadvantaged children in Texas, Communities In Schools (CIS) and IDEA Public Schools can appreciate the fervor of the debate. In many ways, the two organizations embody the political divide over operating philosophies and effective interventions in public education. But with students’ futures hanging in the balance, they have found a way to look past differences.

CIS Vice President of Legislative Relations Dan Fuller and IDEA Chief Advancement Officer Sam Goessling explain how the two groups have forged a partnership and offer ways Congress can do the same, in support of ESEA, in this opinion piece published in The Hill.