WASHINGTON, D.C - As the U.S. Senate continues debate over elementary and secondary education programs, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts’ (R-Kan.) the Learning Opportunities Created At the Local (LOCAL) Level Act, designed to preserve state education autonomy by prohibiting the federal government from coercing states to adopt education standards like Common Core, is garnering outside support from some of the most influential voices in the education debate.

The LOCAL Level Act has the support of Heritage Action for America, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the Eagle Forum, FreedomWorks, and the Family Research Council. 

“This important legislation preserves the accountability, flexibility and innovative decision- making that is best realized at the state and local level by parents and educators closest to the affected students. Education belongs in the hands of parents and local schools, not bureaucrats in Washington.” David Christensen of the Family Research Council wrote of Roberts’ LOCAL Level Act.

Phyllis Schlafly, President and Founder of the Eagle Forum, wrote the LOCAL Level Act, “is among Eagle Forum’s top legislative priorities this year, as it would roll back federal intrusion into educational decision-making that is best done at the state and local level.”

“Senator Roberts' legislation is an important first step in eliminating the federal government’s role in the local classroom and refocusing states’ efforts on children not bureaucratic mandates,” wrote Mat Kibbe, President and CEO of FreedomWorks.

“The Learning Opportunities Crated at Local Level Act will significantly reduce the federal role in education and will begin to return educational decisions to local and state control,” J. Michael Smith, President of HSLDA wrote. “We whole-heartedly support this legislation and thank [Senator Roberts] for [his] work to limit the federal government’s control over education.”

The LOCAL Level Act has also been co-sponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.).

Roberts’ legislation, the Learning Opportunities Created At the Local (LOCAL) Level Act would strictly forbid the federal government from intervening in a state’s education standards, curricula, and assessments through the use of incentives, mandates, grants, waivers or any other form of manipulation. Text of the bill can be found here.

Believing that local control of education is the best control Senator Roberts introduced the LOCAL Level Act in 2014 in the previous Congress. Senator Roberts is also an outspoken opponent of the RTT grant program, a main vehicle the Obama Administration uses to force states to adopt Common Core. In addition, in June of 2013, during the Senate HELP Committee’s consideration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Senator Roberts introduced an amendment to prohibit the U.S. Secretary of Education from offering waivers containing mandates in exchange for relief from onerous provisions of ESEA.

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