Parents as Teachers Hails Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act

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Dec 09, 2015, 02:03 ET

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parents as Teachers, a leader in the early childhood and family engagement fields, today praised Congress for their bipartisan, bicameral efforts to reauthorize the American public school system through passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The bill, which is now headed to President Obama's desk to be signed into law, would discard the No Child Left Behind, and replace it with a new law that emphasizes the importance of early education and upgrades important family engagement provisions.

Parents as Teachers President and CEO Scott Hippert said: "The long-overdue replacement of No Child Left Behind with a bill that reflects the current needs of children and families is an important recognition by Congress that education is a high priority. I commend lawmakers for their focus on connecting early education to elementary school, and for their renewed efforts to incorporate families into supporting their children to achieve greater success in school."

ESSA supports early education and family engagement through:

The establishment of Statewide Family Engagement Centers
The establishment of a minimum set-aside for family engagement in Title I
Grants for innovation and evidence-based programs
The authorization of a Preschool Development Grants program

President Obama is expected to sign ESSA into law before the end of the calendar year.

About Parents as Teachers: Founded in Missouri in 1984, Parents as Teachers serves more than 212,000 children in all 50 U.S. states, more than 100 Tribal organizations, schools and communities, and six other countries. Its internationally recognized network uses an evidence-based model to deliver parent education primarily through personal visits and group meetings, equipping parents with knowledge and resources to prepare their children, from birth through kindergarten, for a stronger start in life and greater success in school. Parents as Teachers programs operate in various settings, including schools, hospitals, faith-based organizations and housing communities. For more information, visit www.ParentsAsTeachers.org.

SOURCE Parents as Teachers