Educational Freedom Act of 2014

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit Federal mandates, direction, or control of specific instructional content, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Educational Freedom Act of 2014 2. Prohibition against Federal mandates, direction, or control Subpart 2 of part E of title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq. (1) by redesignating sections 9534, 9535, and 9536 ( 20 U.S.C. 7914 (2) by inserting after section 9533 ( 20 U.S.C. 7913 9534. Prohibition against Federal mandates, direction, or control (a) In general No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, mandate, direct, incentivize, or control a State’s, local educational agency’s, or school’s specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction (including through any requirement, direction, incentive, or mandate to adopt the Common Core State Standards developed under the Common Core State Standards Initiative or any other academic standards common to a significant number of States) nor shall any provision of this Act be construed to authorize such an officer or employee to do so. (b) Financial support No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, make financial support available in a manner that is conditioned upon a State’s, local educational agency’s, or school’s adoption of specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction (including any requirement, direction, or mandate to adopt the Common Core State Standards developed under the Common Core State Standards Initiative, any other academic standards common to a significant number of States, or any assessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned to such standards) even if such requirements are specified in an Act other than this Act, nor shall any provision of this Act be construed to authorize such an officer or employee to do so. .

Summary: Educational Freedom Act of 2014 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit any federal officer or employee from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, incentivizing, or controlling, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or school's specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction. Prohibits any provision of the ESEA from being construed to authorize such an officer or employee to do so. Prohibits any federal officer or employee from directly or indirectly conditioning, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, the availability of financial support on a state's, LEA's, or school's adoption of any specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction, even if such conditions are specified under any other Act. Prohibits any provision of the ESEA from being construed to authorize such an officer or employee to do so. Includes, within these prohibitions, requirements and incentives to adopt the Common Core State Standards or any other academic standards common to a significant number of states.