October 1, 2003

NEA Members
Speak Out On Education Law

In video interviews, classroom teachers
warn against relying too much on test scores

Washington, D.C. -- Karla Bradley, a teacher at Asbell Elementary School in Fayetteville, Ark., says tests should measure students' skills, not punish their schools with negative labels. "It's a numbers game. It's a public relations game," Bradley says in a new video series featuring National Education Association (NEA) members.

Despite the allure of its name, the so-called "No Child Left Behind" law, the latest version of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, focuses on punishments rather than help, federal mandates rather than local flexibility, and one-size-fits-all requirements rather than teacher-led solutions that meet each child's individual needs.

Effective education reforms demand the valuable input of those who are in the classroom.  Unfortunately, teachers' – and parents' – voices were ignored by officials and politicians in Washington, D.C., who constructed the new law.  Schools are now reeling from the excessive paperwork and bureaucracy the law has created.  NEA is seeking improvements that will help ensure that every child attends a great public school.

NEA members are speaking out in video clips that are now on the NEA Web site.  The brief video clips highlight interviews with dozens of educators.

NEA, on behalf of 2.7 million members, supports the goals of the new law: improving student academic achievement, ensuring that every classroom has a quality teacher and holding high expectations for all children.  However, the new law's testing mandates present real obstacles to helping every student succeed.

"Every minute we spend testing is a minute not spent on the instruction of students in the subject area," says Jack Williamson, a teacher at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Mo.

"We know that children have different learning styles, and as educators we have to find good teaching styles to meet those learning styles," says Paula Brown, an educator from Knox County, Tenn.

Interviews were taped at NEA's summer 2003 annual meeting in New Orleans.  The Web site will be updated frequently with new video clips.

For more information, contact:

Anjetta McQueen, NEA Public Relations            202-822-7251                     amcqueen@nea.org

Kathleen Lyons, NEA Public Relations            202-822-7213                     klyons@nea.org

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