News Release

Reality of the Classroom Not Reflected in Education Secretary's Remarks

New York –  The glowing praise U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige gave the so-called No Child Left Behind law in his speech to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday is not reflected in America's classrooms, according to the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union.

"While America's public school teachers are pleased that education is coming to the forefront, we are concerned there was not an acknowledgement of the critical flaws in the law, flaws that both Republicans and Democrats have said need to be fixed," NEA President Reg Weaver said after the speech.

Weaver said the law's biggest flaw, according to teachers, parents, and policymakers, is the use of one-size-fits-all tests to determine whether a school is labeled as failing. He pointed to 32 state legislatures - some with Republican majorities - that have either passed or proposed state policy that reflects the need for the law to be changed.

Moreover, the Secretary talked about the need to close the funding gap between wealthy schools and those in lower-income areas. But the No Child Left Behind law does nothing to close the funding gap. Instead, it forces already cash-strapped schools to spend their precious funding on the things children need least - more bureaucracy, paperwork, and standardized testing. This is especially true in low-income schools because they are more reliant on federal funding than schools in wealthy districts.

Weaver also took issue with the Secretary's characterization of an increase in federal education funding, when the No Child Left Behind law has had a funding shortfall of $9.5 billion this year. More than half of all school districts are receiving less Title I money this year than they did in the previous year, forcing them to be accountable for more while providing them with less.

"While all educators agree with the Secretary that education is a right for all American citizens, the fact is that testing students more while providing them with less is not the way to ensure increased student achievement or access to a high-quality public school." Weaver said.

A student from a St. Louis elementary school, who was featured in a video clip during the speech, talked about how her teachers always take time to help her individually when she is struggling with a particular subject.

"This student didn't talk about how testing helped her do better at math or reading," Weaver said. "This student talked about how her teachers helped her achieve. Studies consistently prove that the quality of a teacher is the single most important factor in determining the quality of a child's education. Unfortunately, the No Child Left Behind law actually decreases the amount of federal money schools can use for hiring and keeping high-quality educators.

Additionally, the overall success of the school, as demonstrated by the video, was not a result of the No Child Left Behind law. Rather, it was an effort that had been ongoing for years before the law was instituted.

"We all know what works in the classroom to help students achieve - high-quality teachers, up-to-date classroom resources, and smaller class sizes. We need to be investing in those things that will make the future bright for America's children."

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September 1, 2004

For more information:
NEA Public Relations, 202 822-7200