Schools need flexibility from federal government mandates in order to innovate, according to an ideologically diverse group of school officials testifying before a Senate Education Committee roundtable on Tuesday.

“What … communities need is flexibility to do what is in the best interest of their youth and as amazing as it sounds, there are significant differences in what children need who are literally only miles away from one another,” Susan Kessler, a principal from Nashville, Tenn., wrote. Kessler was one of the more liberal supporters of flexibility. She also advocated for government-provided pre-kindergarten, in addition to government-provided Internet access for impoverished families.