U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) today announced that the Senate has passed his amendment prohibiting the federal government from mandating, incentivizing, or coercing states to adopt specific academic standards, including the Common Core standards, curriculum or assessments, as part of the budget. Vitter’s legislation, the Local Control of Education Act, would also allow states that choose to opt out of Common Core after adoption to remain eligible for Race to the Top funding and waivers from No Child Left Behind.

“Parents, along with local teachers, principals, and education leaders in our communities, know best on how to best educate our kids,” Vitter said. “We should reduce the size and scope of the federal government in our classrooms and return curriculum decision-making and use of taxpayer dollars to those closest to the students – and my legislation would do just that.”

The Obama administration granted states that adopted Common Core standards waivers from No Child Left Behind mandates. Vitter’s legislation would ensure that any state with an existing waiver will keep its No Child Left Behind waiver without penalty if the state opts out of Common Core. His bill would also make these states eligible for Race to the Top grant funding, which has only been offered to states in compliance with Common Core standards.