Educator's Union Votes To Tackle No Child Left Behind Act
The National Education Association has fought to change the measure since its beginnings in 2001, but this represents the union's most organized effort to date, said Joel Packer, the NEA's policy manager on the act. We're moving from just being critics to saying this is our own vision," Packer said. "It is very powerful because it's the voices of classroom teachers."
In an hourlong discussion, only three of the 9,000 members of the union's Representative Assembly argued against the lobbying effort, saying the law was too flawed to fix. They wanted the union to focus on repealing the act. A more significant number of delegates shouted "No" when asked to vote, but not enough to swing the outcome.
Union leaders say the basic intentions of No Child Left Behind -- quality schools and skilled teachers -- are good. But the government's "obsessive" focus on testing student skills and punishing failing schools undermines education, said Becky Pringle, a member of the NEA Executive Committee that drafted the new policy. The plan approved Monday calls for increases in the $23.5 billion budget currently authorized by Congress and a decrease in the number of students in each classroom. The union also is calling for a national minimum wage of $40,000 a year for teachers.
The union will push the government to move away from testing as the sole benchmark for success or failure. They favor a series of benchmarks that reflect the different demographics and abilities of students. NEA President Reg Weaver said the union is securing support from lawmakers and education organizations. No Child Left Behind is up for reauthorization in 2007, but Weaver said he expects debate on reform will come after the 2008 Presidential Election.
The substance of our changes, everybody knows they are good," Weaver said. "We have all kinds of organizations that want this law changed. It's just a matter of the political climate. It's good. We're on the road to success." The No Child Left Behind Act, passed by Congress in 2001, was championed by President Bush as a way to hold schools accountable.
Under the law, schools are required to test students in math and reading and report their scores by group, such as race, disability, English language ability or economic situation. If one group of students fails, an entire school can face penalties "It expects every child to progress at the same level and they don't. One size doesn't fit all," said Marilyn Petersen, a Houston-area delegate who has taught special education for 55 years. "We're putting politics in the classroom. Politicians need to come into the classroom, not for a few hours but a few days, and do what we do."
The law initially enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress, but financial support has declined as the war in Iraq and other priorities make increasing demands on the federal budget. About $1 billion was trimmed from the program's budget this year, and the NEA expects another $500 million will be cut in 2007. On Tuesday, the NEA plans to give delegates 10 small cards outlining the union's position and a list of activities people can undertake to change the law. The conference ends Wednesday.
The union will encourage the millions of teachers, college professors and school support personnel in its ranks to barrage their elected officials' phone lines with the NEA message when the act comes up for Congressional reauthorization in 2007. Packer said Monday's vote reflects a recent NEA member attitude survey. The survey of 1,000 NEA members found a majority of the union dislikes the No Child Left Behind Act, but would rather modify it than repeal it.
About 30 percent of NEA members approve of the law, the survey said. Ron Crouse, a fourth grade teacher from Ashburn, Va., said he has supported the law from its inception. He said there is always room for improvements.
"I think that each year it gets better. I've seen the improvements," Crouse said. "I've seen the changes that are positive for both educators and students. Will we get there entirely in a year? No. But we're certainly making progress."
