NEA Welcomes Kennedy Proposal to Alter 'No Child Left Behind'

Statement by National Education Association
President Reg Weaver
on Sen. Edward Kennedy's 'No Child Left Behind Improvement Act.'

"On behalf of NEA’s 2.7 million members, I would like to thank Senator Kennedy, one of the original authors of the 'No Child Left Behind' Act, for introducing his proposal today to remedy some of the increasingly evident flaws in the law and its implementation. He was joined by other members of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee in introducing the bill.

"This bill is a positive step in the right direction.  Echoing a growing chorus of voices around the country, Senator Kennedy recognizes that while this law has admirable goals, it is creating serious problems in classrooms and schools.

"Kennedy’s bill addresses key concerns with NCLB by providing consistent standards for teacher and paraprofessional quality, more reasonable assessments for students with disabilities and limited English proficiency, and more resources to increase school building capacity and train teachers to use test results effectively to improve instruction.

"Senator Kennedy has also been a leader in the fight to close the $17 billion gap between funding provided so far by the Administration and Congress and the resources necessary to get the job done.

"We strongly believe that in order to make the No Child Left Behind law work, more fundamental changes will have to be made.  The law continues to evaluate student and school progress on just a 'snapshot'—two tests taken once a year—and it fails to measure growth in individual student achievement over time.

"NEA plans to continue working with members of both parties to fix and fund the No Child Left Behind law so that every child can learn to the best of his or her abilities."

September 13, 2004

Contact:

Daniel Kaufman, (202) 822-7268
Michael Pons, (202) 822-7595

[The full text of the No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004 (S.2794) are available online.]

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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.