Statement

U.S. Education Dept. Recognizes
Law Needs to be Changed

Statement
by NEA President Reg Weaver
on announcement of changes
 to NCLB teacher quality regulations

"On behalf of our 2.7 million members, NEA is pleased that the U.S. Department of Education has agreed to further amend its regulations affecting the so-called 'No Child Left Behind' Act. These much-needed improvements were among those urged by NEA and many others who are focused on improving the quality of education for all children and students.    

"As this is the Department’s third change in four months to the rules of the so-called 'No Child Left Behind' Act, I believe that two things are clear. First, the Administration has realized that it is important to listen to the voices of teachers, parents, principals, and many others who have been raising serious, legitimate concerns about the law's one-size-fits-all approach to educating children and students, as well as to the implications caused by a lack of adequate and equitable funding.    

"Second, I believe that the debate over whether this law needs to be fixed is officially over -– the Administration’s actions have confirmed that need. Instead, the focus is now on what the changes should be, how extensive they should be, and how quickly they must be realized to ensure that children, students, educators, and schools will not continue to be mislabeled and otherwise harmed by the effects during the implementation phase of the law.    

"While these changes are welcome, they are not enough. 'No Child Left Behind' has put up other barriers to every child having what they need to learn to the best of his or her abilities. The law has created a mountain of paperwork and burdensome regulations for teachers and other educators. It forces schools to abandon multiple measures of assessment, and focus on just two test scores.    

"Having a truly certified and qualified teacher in every classroom is essential to meeting the promise of 'No Child Left Behind.'    

"NEA and its members -– teachers and education support professionals -– are committed to giving every child in America the opportunity to attend a great public school. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress to make this law more flexible and provide the resources needed to ensure that all students have access to a great public school."

March 17, 2004

Contact:
NEA Public Relations, 202-822-7200

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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.