On Dec. 9, the U.S. Senate passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that will get the federal government out of the business of teacher evaluations and offers real relief from the testing fixation that has increasingly narrowed the curriculum and done little to close the achievement gap. Now the bill goes to President Obama, who has said he will sign it.

In response, UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued the following statement:

This legislation ends the federal obsession with high stakes testing that narrowed what was taught in classrooms and did little to close the achievement gap. This new bill makes clear that ‘test and punish’ is no longer the law of the land. We are especially grateful to Senator Schumer and the entire New York Congressional delegation for protecting Title I funds for schools in New York City that serve high numbers of our most vulnerable students. It is a proud day when the Senate and Congress listen to parents and teachers across this country and respond to our shared concerns.