Inside National Education Association (May 2006) President's Comments, No Child Left Behind attacked

Excerpts from the "NEA Today" monthly publication of the National Education Association for May 2006. Some of the articles are available online, others not:

I see the face of a child. She has a beautiful, shy smile. She lives in a huge, sprawling shantytown in a developing country. She is dark-skinned. Her nationality doesn't matter. What matters is that she is a child with all the dazzling potential of a child.

She sleeps the sleep of a child, and when she awakens to a living nightmare of poverty, despair and ignorance. She has never spent a single day of her life in a school. Instead, every morning she accompanies her mother to a huge garbage dump, where they pick through mountains of debris, looking for something, anything, to sell..............The girl is illiterate, she's malnourished, and she knows nothing about HIV/AIDS, but soon she will become a young woman.

NEA'S membership in Education International (www.ei-ie.org) affords us, as educators, the opportunity to link arms with other caring educators around the world-more than 29 million of them, in fact-and to raise our voices on behalf of the children of the world and on behalf of our profession.

It is a fundamental human right for all to have a free, quality public education. Education International is dedicated to this ideal........

I was recently elected Vice-President of Education International, and it was a great honor. After all NEA is a founding member of Education International and NEA's Mary Hatwood Futrell is the founding president. Plus, the association is the largest affiliate among EI's membership of 348 national education unions in 166 countries.

Faced with the magnitude and the multitude of challenges around the world-war, famine, disease and oppression-there is an understandable tendency for people to feel overwhelmed and to withdraw into their private shells. But there is another option. It is for us to say to ourselves. I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something........

Educators everwhere need to work together, because a great public school is a basic right for every child, whether that child lives in Idaho or Indonesia, Addis Ababa or Altoona.....

Your generosity of spirit and your committment to the cause of children and public education everywhere inspire me.

" More than 1 million American students stayed home from school in 2003-that is, they were home-schooled, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That's a 29 percent increase since 1999, but still just 2.2 percent of all students. The top two reasons? Home-schooling parents believe school is dangerous, they told surveyors, or they want to provide children with a religious education."

"Six states and the District of Columbia, the governor of Pennsylvania, school administrators, and a coalition of California elected officials and community activists have filed legal briefs in support of NEA's legal challenge to unfunded federal mandates in the No Child Left Behind law. The amicus brief filing by Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin says the states "respectfully disagreed" with a U.S. District Court judge who dismissed NEA's lawsuit in November. The association and the other plantiff's have since filed an appeal. The suit argues that NCLB is an unlawfully underfunded by more than $40 billion-in spite of wording in the law that makes clear its mandates will be fully paid by the federal government. About 80 percent of districts say they have costs associated with the law not covered by federal funding, according to a report released in March by the Center on Education Policy. For more information, visit www.nea.org/lawsuit."

"The so-called No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, which has introduced children all across America to the joys of bubble sheets, comes up for renewal in September 2007. That means Congress will begin considering changes to the law, possibly starting with hearings later this year. Final action may not occur until 2008 or even later, but NEA is mobilizing to play a major role.

'The problems with the law have become apparent in our classrooms and our communities across the country and to people across the political spectrum,' says NEA Executive Committee member Becky Pringle. "We're optimistic that Congress can be persuaded to make the major changes that are essential to keep this law from hurting the very children it was originally supposed to help.'

NEA President Reg Weaver appointed Pringle to head an advisory committee...The committee has held hearings around the country to gather information from members about how NCLB affects their schools and their students, and to enlist their professional expertise in crafting a positive agenda for changing the law.

Members have been telling them of the many ways in which NCLB is distorting the curriculum.....

'a custodian actually started crying while describing what's happening to some of his teacher-colleagues,' says Pringle. 'He said students are so upset that they're blaming their teachers for having to take all these tests, and deciding to punish the teachers by refusing to answer the questions.'.........

'One sixth-grade teacher said his school is spending so much time testing reading and math, they've been unable to focus on science and social studies as they used to do,' says Pringle......

Pringle adds that many teachers are saying their children are being set up to fail because NCLB ignores the problems caused by poverty and doesn't even require that students be tested in a language they can understand.......

Pringle says she believes of Congress are ready to listen, but only if they hear from their own constituents..........

'NEA's great strength is that we have members in every congressional district. But we can only harness that strength when our members collectively speak up and take action.'...............

Any person who is both a member of the National Education Association and calls themsleves a "Conservative" needs to decide which side they are on?

There are many such people working in our schools today and I realize there are side issues like personalities, local corruption, waste on sports programs, etc. but I think this is a choose what side you are on issue.

Reforming our schools means cutting the power of NEA down and hopefully giving local people a chance to retake their local school boards.

For now the federal intervention (NCLB) is necessary to ensure some sort of practical education (reading and math) that will help students get jobs after they leave school.

Others will go to college with some real education they can build on unless political indoctrination (another issue) doesn't mess them up at that level(college), too.

I also love posts like yours.

Other than providing a good home life, time and space to get homework done, and making sure the kids get to school on time and prepared, there is nothing the parent has control over for the 7 hours the kids are at school. Parents have no rights in the buildings, over the teachers, or the curriculum. Teachers do as they wish, the administration supports the teachers and hides problems, and parental input is not sought on the decision-making process in purchasing or reviewing curriculum. If the parent complains too much, the kid is referred for special ed.

The reason homeschool parents do so well is that they have TOTAL CONTROL over all aspects of their kids education, including curriculum.

Are there good teachers ? Yes of course there are; they are just totally minimized by schlock curriculum and idiotic classroom practices.

"'One sixth-grade teacher said his school is spending so much time testing reading and math, they've been unable to focus on science and social studies as they used to do,' says Pringle......

Where's history? Oh yeah. Social studies is mandatory if the revolution is to be a success.
History has to be eliminated. Kids might learn from it. They'll figure out what "freedom" really means.
Oh! We can't have that in the liberal gooberment skrools now can we?"

Ridicule all you want, but I can tell you that my son, who is in advanced HISTORY and science classes, is learning a WHOLE lot less history and science because they spend so much time preparing for these idiotic government math and reading tests mandated by Bush and Congress. Ideally, kids like my son who they know will pass these tests easily would be separated off for regular instruction, but they don't have the qualified teachers to do it.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but public schools are so entrenched we have to to something about it.

Its Chicago in the 1920's again and Al Capone and the other gangsters run it with the cops on the take.

Too bad we don't have Elliot Ness to take on the NEA but the NCLB is the best we've got for now.

We can improve it by putting non-public school choice in it and really break down the NEA monopoly?

And the Education Department shouldn't exist, but we need an Elliot Ness and J. Edgar Hoover, along with a General Patton to run it and run down NEA power.

They've got too many politicians on the take, including Republicans and that's why we can't get school choice at the federal level.

I am a high school teacher and this is my planning period. My scholars American Lit. class gave presentations today. One student earned an 86% and was not happy about that. Apparently, she expected an A, even though she forgot part of her presentation and stood in front of the class with a blank look on her face. I was just sent a note from the office. Her parents will be in at 2:30 to talk about the "unfair grade" that I "gave" their daughter.

Parents rule the schools, and not in the sense that they are present to support teachers. Their child would never cheat on a test, or fight in the halls, and so on.

I would love to break with my union, but do you know what would happen to me if I did?

The National Education Association is trying to control this discussion again, I see.

You've repeated their talking points well. They even tell people to blame tax increases on No Child Left Behind. Are hearing this from NEA teachers-administrators or do you just post for the National Education Association?

I learned a lot of my history from reading books at home including broadcasting history. I aced the first two courses in it I took at college because I read about it at home.

I hear a lot of history in schools nowadays is more about Bill Clinton and less about Reagan, Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson. Maybe that distorted history is something our kids could do without.

None of our jobs are without stress. Yours is to explain the basis of the grade - who cares if the parents like it or not, because you clearly had a good reason for giving it. All grades are subjective, and every parent knows it. All you have to do is establish the fact that you have the same criteria for every presentation and then just weather the storm.

I routinely have to explain unpleasant things to my clients. Why shouldn't they ask - you don't have to bow to them, you have administrators and tenure behind you. OTOH, I can get fired anytime by my clients if they don't like my message. I don't have tenure.

Parents should rule the schools - they pay for the damn things. A teacher should be as accountable to the parent as any worker in any other profession is to their clients/customers.

I homeschool because I couldn't hold any teacher accountable for their actions and their antics in the classroom. I can give you horror stories of things that were done to my kid simply because someone - teacher or classmate - didn't like her and allowed or actively encouraged humiliating and damaging actions against her, including the teacher standing by and allowing kids to stuff her into a locker and standing there laughing and making demeaning comments all the while, sending her to the principal's office for breaking too many pencil points, ridiculing my kid because she won the spelling bee with "too many big words and who did she think she was anyhow", making excuses for a kid burning my kids' hands on a hot radiator and requiring medical care because the offender came from a dysfunctional family, losing my kids' big semester project in the teacher's lounge, giving her a 0 for the project and then when it was found under the sofa in the teachers lounge, refusing to change the grade, and on and on and on. And, all this was defended and covered up by the administration.

Sorry, been there done that with too many teachers. Accountability is a good thing and school choice is the best.

I Have even a better one for you. Wife had a 5th grade child over a year ago that had an 87%. Child had missed over a month of school for family vacation, then many sick days upon return. THis child forever wants to call mummy during the school day; very spoiled child of a local preacher. She earned a b+ for the 87% as final grade. Parents wanted her to have straight A's; came in complaining. Wife showed all records and said she wasn't changing grade. They called district superintendent and all had meeting. Super agreed with teacher and parents stormed out mad. THat was at the end of school year, Last Year. District hired new superintendent over summer, a year later, parents complain to new super about grade old super wouldn't change; a year ago. New meeting, same result, no grade change; parents still mad. Probably be a lawsuit next with NEA lawyers involved, next year.

Crazy parents are much more commonplace and the norm than anyone on FR would care to believe. How fair would it have been to all the other children if my wife had changed that grade from a B to A? What's so wrong with a B+ anyway in 5th grade?

If people on FR heard half the stories teachers could tell them; you would never hear a peep about the NEA, no joke. What you are saying about parents ruling the schools is the complete truth and part of the problem. Parents should support their teachers if they want better schools.

2. Home schooling is something the NEA is monitoring, for the momemt. Some of the parents who do it are probably teachers themsleves and are or have been NEA members.

Count us in that group. Mr. RightField was a public school teacher for 37 years. I homeschooled our children through 8th grade. And, looking back we regret sending them even to the school where he taught (one of the Newsweek Top 100, BTW). Weighing all in the balance, staying at home for the entire 12 years would have been best.

Incidentally, as a teacher, we have had an email account provided by the county board of education for 12+ years. Recently, we have begun to receive lots of emails from the DNC and other Democrat organizations ... even "personalized" emails. Which is interesting in that our email account does not indicate a first name or a complete last name.

These emails refer to my husband as a "fellow Democrat" and are written to enlist his help in fighing the evil Republicans. The County Board of Education must have turned over all the emails AND the corresponding full names to the DNC.

Un-freaking-believable!!

"You've repeated their talking points well. They even tell people to blame tax increases on No Child Left Behind. Are hearing this from NEA teachers-administrators or do you just post for the National Education Association?"

I've never read the NEA talking points or heard them and my observations do not come from teachers or administrators. I have a child in school and I talk to other parents. Do you? I don't blame tax increases on the NCLB, but I know for an absolute fact that the system where we live is spending tons meeting the bureacratic record-keeping required.

"I hear a lot of history in schools nowadays is more about Bill Clinton and less about Reagan, Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson. Maybe that distorted history is something our kids could do without."

You HEAR? You HEAR?? Where do you get your information? Rumors on the Internet? I HEAR a lot of things, but I don't offer them as proof.

Have you read the school books (some of which are pretty deplorable), monitored actual classes, or checked the homework a child is doing? I have and still do. My son is getting American history this year and they haven't even mentioned Bill Clinton yet. They're just now getting to Reagan.

"I learned a lot of my history from reading books at home including broadcasting history. I aced the first two courses in it I took at college because I read about it at home."

I'm not sure what this has to do with NCLB but history was one of my double majors in college and I read history all the time for pleasure now. My other major was journalism, so I know about broadcasting and about propaganda.

NCLB is a bureacratic, nightmarish money pit that no conservative should even consider supporting. From other comments, it appears you think it will somehow magically remove all liberal ideas and teaching from the schools. Believe me, it won't.

You're repeating charges made by the National Education Association in their magazine article that I didn't include. Are you promoting the NEA agenda, here?

What may or may not be in the article is of no consequence. This is personal anecdotal experience. And no, the teachers I know do not belong to the NEA. I would like for you in your 'conservative wisdom' to explain why someone who teaches a specific curriculum (history), and has been doing so successfully for years, must be required to have certification in a subject (science) that is about as far from that realm of knowledge as possible. Will it somehow make them a 'better teacher' in the eyes of enlightened folk such as yourself?

NCLB is just more government waste and bureaucracy forced upon the citizens of the respective states by 'limited government' Republicans.

There has been a gangster, liberal takeover of education in our country and federal intervention is justified until local communities have the courage and understanding to rise up and retake their schools from the liberals.

You'll be able to point out the power specifically listed in the Constitution for this 'intervention'? Of course you won't, but that won't stop a 'limited government' Republican from cheering for their pet agenda will it? Courage and understanding to rise up and retake the schools? LOL, Where do you 'conservatives' get your catchphrases from? And how is centralization and standardization 'rising up and retaking back the schools'?

Of course you also won't be able to addresss the issue that some students are being held back in the government's 'intervention' of standardization (yes this is happening, I've seen it)

What bothers you more, the liberal politically correct agenda in education or the No Child Left Behind law? I pick the former.

As a conservative that believes in limited government, any centralization of power (especially unconstitutional centralization) is the first and foremost concern.

To think, 30 years ago conservatives were calling for dismissal of the newly created Dept of Education. Now, Republicans aren't only supporting it, they're demanding its existence. LOL!!

Please note, I expect no actual thoughtful response on the concern that is affecting those I know personally as any response would only be chockful of standard GOP talking points.

How is NCLB hurting, dare I ask?

Underperforming schools receive more government aid, so the worse your school does, the more money it receives. The Superintendent tries to drive off experience teachers so they can be replaced by new teachers who aren't paid as much, saving the district even more money and further lowering the test scores. The Superintendent then gets a $50,000 bonus to stay because he's doing such a good job bringing in the dough. Then the Superintendent leaves to start over in a new district after a few years before everyone catches on to his scheme. This is what is happening at a school district I know of and I'm sure it isn't the only one it's happening at.

Meanwhile the students are just being taught how to take this test they have to pass.

Besides, do you really support an education plan that was written by Ted Kennedy?

Teachers do as they wish, the administration supports the teachers and hides problems, and parental input is not sought on the decision-making process in purchasing or reviewing curriculum. If the parent complains too much, the kid is referred for special ed.

If you name a school district where this happens, I guarantee they'll never be wanting for teachers applying for jobs!

From my knowledge of the subject, parents who b*tch enough get whatever they want.

Exactly, even here in NC with the dearth of teachers that is happening. But to point out such facts is to 'support the NEA' somehow...

Wallingford- Swarthmore SD in Wallingford, PA I tried all that. You bitch, they think you are a crackpot and need pacification consisting of many meetngs accomplishing nothing. Before you know it, the school year is mostly gone and your kid is even more miserable because the teachers you were complaining about have taken it out on your kid even more. My kid's last year in school:

langage arts teacher - gave kid a C- even tho all her papers and tests sent home were graded with As. Refused to show me her gradebook and wouldn't explain the grade.

art teacher - couldn't prevent 2 bullies from dumping paint all over my kid at lest once a week. Kid removed from class after I marched kid to principal's office day after day with paint all over her.

math teacher - had a "stupid student" poll posted in his classroom every week on which students were encouraged to vote.

When I went to the administration over and over about all this plus the dumbed-down curriculum, they said my kid had a disorganized locker and was being referred for special ed evaluation for disorganization. Oh and of course, because she was being referred for specal ed she'd have to give up her TAG (talented and gifted) reading class, the only class she liked.

Needless to say I was fed up and yanked her out of there - and wish I had done it years before. She's been happy ever since. Talk about a toxic environment ! There were only 2 teachers there that I respected, and both of them wouldn't come right out and say it but both let me know I was not the only parent having lots of problems with the school.

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