Dive Brief:

• On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate kicked off debate on the promised bipartisan rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which would overhaul Bush-era guidelines for federal education policy.
• The House of Representatives will also take up a similar bill for debate, albeit one that lacks the support of both parties.
• The debate is expected to last through next week, with Senate education committee chair Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) saying, "this isn't an issue-free piece of legislation."

Dive Insight:

One day into the Senate debate, and critics of the bill have already begun to demand substantial and controversial changes. The White House released a statement calling for additional school accountability provisions, with the Council of Chief State School Officers backing the presidential push, calling for a provision to identify low-performing schools and raise high school graduation standards.

The Senate version of the bill is likely to pass before the House's take on the rewrite, having been, as previously stated, a bipartisan effort led by Alexander and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). In a Tuesday op-ed published by The Hill, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) praised the bill for "investing in what works."

"By focusing on results and creating incentives for programs that are successful, cost-effective, and make a real difference, we can help students accelerate their learning," the pair wrote. They highlighted a provision that would allow school districts to invest funds in data-backed programs, saying, "these efforts represent smart governance and will ensure that more and more students have access to programs that actually help them grow and learn. It will also ensure that schools use taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and effective way possible."