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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2003

News Release

NEA President Rallies Members for Great Public Schools for Every Child 

Reg Weaver calls for renewed attention to fixing and funding NCLB

New Orleans. La. - While giving a rousing endorsement to the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), NEA President Reg Weaver today called on the Association's 2.7 million members to organize, mobilize and maximize their energies to fix the flaws in the federal law that are negatively affecting students and classrooms.  Delivering his inaugural keynote speech to the NEA's Representative Assembly, President Weaver urged NEA members to take a lead role in reminding policymakers that reform without resources equals rhetoric.

"NEA has always been dedicated to leaving no child behind - that is nothing new to us," said Weaver.   "The stated goals of NCLB - closing the achievement gap, ensuring highly qualified teachers, improving academic achievement - are a page from our very own book.  NEA's concern with this legislation lies with the implementation of, and the lack of adequate and equitable funding for, these laudable goals."

Weaver deplored the unintended consequences of the legislation that is impacting teachers, parents and administrators across the country.  As the law is currently written, Weaver said that NCLB is "setting up public schools to fail" and will "force many teachers to do nothing more than teach to the tests and drive inspired and experienced teachers and paraprofessionals from the classroom."

Weaver urged politicians to listen to those who hold the responsibility for educating students.

"We know the needs of public education and of public educators," Weaver said.  "We also know that creativity and flexibility are necessary ingredients for an education reform plan to be successful, and these are ingredients that are missing in this plan."

President Weaver announced NEA's antidote to NCLB - the Great Public Schools for Every Child Action Plan - that is designed to fix and fund the new federal law.  The legislative effort will focus on communicating directly with Congress to facilitate improvements to NCLB.  Specific action steps include closing the loopholes in the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher, granting flexibility to states and school districts, ensuring paraprofessionals have resources to pay for required professional development, and most critically, fully funding No Child Left Behind programs.

"We will make sure that our elected officials know that we are monitoring their 'adequate yearly progress.'  And when they don't measure up, we will hold them accountable on Election Day," said Weaver. 

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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.