A noted fighter for social justice and equality, Miller is one of the principal authors of the No Child Left Behind legislation, which in 2002 mandated that public K-12 schools publicly disclose the academic performance of students by race, ethnicity and other demographic categories and establish goals aimed at reducing and eliminating achievement gaps.
As the House Education and Labor Committee chairman between 2007 and 2011, Miller helped shepherd the overhaul of the federal student loan system, boost Pell grant funding for college students and increase funding for community colleges during the passage of the Affordable Care Act. More recently as the ranking Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Miller had begun efforts to direct attention to the working conditions of adjunct faculty members in American higher education.
“I look forward to one last year in Congress fighting the good fight and then working in new venues on the issues that have inspired me,” he said in a statement.
“This is a great institution and I cannot thank my family and my constituents enough for having given me the honor and privilege of representing my district in Congress these past 40 years,” Miller said. “I have tried to repay them for their confidence by working hard every day to make our country a better place.”
In his retirement announcement on Monday, Miller indicated that he would push Congress this year to meet a number of goals, including making college more affordable through the upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.
“I will leave Congress with a full heart and a crowded plate because the challenges of our times demand our constant involvement,” he said.
