The White House this weekend unveiled its proposal for reauthorizing the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law but the result is a disappointing outline for more of the same focus on one-size-fits-all testing. As a result, the NEA cannot support the plan as released, President Dennis Van Roekel said. (More)
NEA President: Reauthorization 'Blueprint' Disappointing
March 13, 2010 By
Illinois Education Association is an association of more than 130,000 members composed of Illinois elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty and staff, educational support professionals, retired educators and college students preparing to become teachers.
I’m glad to see our national and state Association leaders are taking a more skeptical view of Duncan and Obama’s reauthorization of ESEA than we seemed to have had of their Race to the Top.
As one of your NEA Directors, lobbying for our members and our students in Washington, I can assure you that, at least since 2000, NEA and IEA have been very skeptical of any government plans for public education–no matter the source. For eight years the NEA was not only kept out of any discussions, but it was demonized by the Bush Administration education officials. Given the alternatives of moving to privatization of public education and the dismantling of unions, the Obama Administration has been a welcome change.
But we have great challenges. And, the Obama Administration is looking for a bipartisian win and the Reauthorization of ESEA may be it.
I would characterize the experience of many of us who have communicated with the Obama Administration as open, candid and constructive. We have and will continue to advocate for our positions with government officials.
Nevertheless, the choices available in this recession are bleak. And we may not agree with all of the points in a Congressional ESEA rewrite.
NEA is at the table with President Obama and Sec. Duncan. IEA leaders have been at the table with the state administrations. And, the fact that our IEA Exec. Director is accompanying Illinois’ delegation to Washington for RTTT is critical. We can either be at the table negotiating or let others tell us how and what we will do.
I urge each member to continue to enlist their family and friends to join in our efforts to keep sending our messages to elected officials, the media, and opinion leaders in every community. The IEA grassroots member response to Gov. Quinn’s Budget input was impressive.
But make no mistake, resources or not, the nation’s leaders expect educators to overcome the challenges keeping too many of our students from succeeding in school.
Share your cases of successes and challenges with your NEA Directors and IEA Officers and staff and we will make sure Sec. Duncan hears about them.
I have nothing but the highest regard for the NEA leadership, including those who served on the Board of Directors, during the Bush years. Were it not for the inspired fighting stand of then President Reg Weaver and the NEA, the opposition to NCLB would have had a significantly weaker voice, barely a whisper.
On the other hand, while some state affiliates have been outspoken in opposition to the winners and losers orientation of the present administration’s Race to the Top, the IEA has gone along in a way that is much more than simply sitting at the table. The have become advocates.
It is true. ESEA has just been introduced. Not much more than 40 pages. There will be more to come. But it appears to continue the winners and losers framework of Race to the Top. It appears to be more punishment for schools that serve poor students and families, threatening them with teacher firings, school closings and so-called turn-arounds.
One can only wonder if Race to the Top and the reauthorization Blueprint had come from the Bush Department of Ed, would we be saying the same things. Is sitting at the table enough to mollify us?