The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, commended the U.S. Senate for its overwhelming and bipartisan approval today of the “Every Student Succeeds Act.” The Senate passed the bill by a vote of ­­­85-12, just one week after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 359-64. This bill represents the first major reform to the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since 2001, when “No Child Left Behind” was passed.

“We are very grateful to Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee and the many members of both parties in the Senate who have led the effort to reform and update the ESEA. We call upon President Obama to sign this legislation into law as quickly as possible and reassure students in private schools across the country that they will receive the critical services they are so dependent upon and which they rightfully deserve,” said Nathan Diament, Executive Director for Public Policy for the Orthodox Union.

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