On Dec. 10, President Barack Obama signed a law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act with the Every Student Succeeds Act. George W.

This month, the State Education Department announced an additional $14.5 million in funds through the federal Race to the Top grant in support of the Smart Schools Bond Act.

True barriers to learning in our state too often fall along racial and income lines.

Americans are increasingly opposed to Common Core standards although much of the oppositon appears related to other reforms, such as accountability for teachers, fostering more testing.