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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 7, 2003

News Release

Statement of NEA President Reg Weaver on Quality Counts 2003

"If we want all children to succeed, we need to make sure they all have access to a high quality teacher. Education Week's Quality Counts study shows that currently school districts don't have the time or resources to make that happen.

"This report should be a wake-up call for policymakers in Washington, D.C. and state capitals around the country who have been claiming they want all schools to succeed, while at the same time refusing to support teacher recruitment and training programs for the schools that need them most.

"The new federal education law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, requires a highly-qualified teacher in every classroom by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. States and school districts won't be able to achieve this goal without commitments from policymakers on the federal, state, and local level. Those commitments mean, among other things, adequate resources for training.

"As a result, the NEA is willing to work with the new Congress and the Administration to resolve these and other important aspects of the new federal law."

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.