News Release

U.S. Education Dept. Validates Educators' Efforts
to Make 'No Child Left Behind' Law More Flexible

NEA Signals New Policy Is Step in Right Direction, But Problems
Remain in Complex, Complicated 'Highly Qualified' Provision

WASHINGTON -- As the deadline for teachers to meet the "highly qualified" provision of the so-called No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law approaches, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings concurred with the National Education Association (NEA) that despite many states' best efforts, more time is indeed needed to meet this complex and complicated provision.

The announcement came Friday in the form of a letter to chief state school officers stating that, in certain circumstances, states may be able to extend the deadline for teachers to be "highly qualified" under NCLB by one additional year until the end of the 2006-07 school year.

"The Department of Education's move to extend the deadline for teachers to be 'highly qualified' acknowledges the complexity of the rules and validates the concerns NEA has raised since the so-called No Child Left Behind law was enacted," said NEA President Reg Weaver. "Although this extension is a positive step in the right direction, the Department and Congress still need to enact common sense changes that maintain the focus on high standards and to ensure that every child can attend a great public school with a fully qualified teacher."

Weaver cautioned that as Secretary Spellings herself said, even those states in full compliance with the law and making the best efforts to meet the "highly qualified" provision are going to need additional time.

One problem with the new policy by the Department is that a state will likely not know whether it will be granted flexibility under the "highly qualified" teacher provision until at least next year because the deadline extension hinges on the state's data submission in January 2006.

"By the time a state knows whether it has been granted an extension, it might be spring, which is close to the end of most school years," said Weaver. "If the request for an extension is denied, it will be too late for many school districts and teachers and would put them in jeopardy with virtually no time remaining to meet the 'highly qualified' teacher provision."

Friday's announcement is the eighth NCLB rule or policy change that the Department has made in the past two years. Each one of the rule changes, while providing needed flexibility, has never been clear or simple, and additional criteria have usually accompanied the changes.

"In this case, a more logical approach by the Department would have been to simply extend the timeline rather than provide additional complex and complicated criteria that could result in states still facing potential elimination of federal funds," said Weaver. "Fixing and funding NCLB is what is necessary. In addition to the amendments, schools need additional resources for professional development, mentoring programs and other assistance in order for teachers and paraprofessionals to meet the 'highly qualified' requirements.

"We urge the Secretary to extend the deadline for paraprofessionals to meet their NCLB 'highly qualified' rules in any state which has the deadline extended for teachers, to maintain the alignment within schools of the deadline for both groups of employees," said Weaver.

Oct. 26, 2005

For more information contact:

Staci Maiers, NEA Public Relations, (202) 822-7150

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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.