2003 Archive
2003 Archive

• NEA Members Speak Out on NCLB - News Release - National Education Association
  

  October 1, 2003

  NEA Members
  Speak Out On Education Law

  In video interviews, classroom teachers
  warn against relying too much on test scores

  Washington, D.C. -- Karla Bradley, a teacher at Asbell Elementary School in Fayetteville, Ark., says tests should measure students' skills, not punish their schools with negative labels. "It's a numbers game. It's a public relations game," Bradley says in a new video series featuring National Education Association (NEA) members.

  Despite the allure of its name, the so-called "No Child Left Behind" law, the latest version of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, focuses on punishments rather than help, federal mandates rather than local flexibility, and one-size-fits-all requirements rather than teacher-led solutions that meet each child's individual needs.

  Effective education reforms demand the valuable input of those who are in the classroom.  Unfortunately, teachers' – and parents' – voices were ignored by officials and politicians in Washington, D.C., who constructed the new law.  Schools are now reeling from the excessive paperwork and bureaucracy the law has created.  NEA is seeking improvements that will help ensure that every child attends a great public school.

  NEA members are speaking out in video clips that are now on the NEA Web site.  The brief video clips highlight interviews with dozens of educators.

  NEA, on behalf of 2.7 million members, supports the goals of the new law: improving student academic achievement, ensuring that every classroom has a quality teacher and holding high expectations for all children.  However, the new law's testing mandates present real obstacles to helping every student succeed.

  "Every minute we spend testing is a minute not spent on the instruction of students in the subject area," says Jack Williamson, a teacher at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, Mo.

  "We know that children have different learning styles, and as educators we have to find good teaching styles to meet those learning styles," says Paula Brown, an educator from Knox County, Tenn.

  Interviews were taped at NEA's summer 2003 annual meeting in New Orleans.  The Web site will be updated frequently with new video clips.

  For more information, contact:

  Anjetta McQueen, NEA Public Relations            202-822-7251                     amcqueen@nea.org

  Kathleen Lyons, NEA Public Relations            202-822-7213                     klyons@nea.org

   

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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.

   

• Quality Counts 2004 - News Releases - National Education Association
  

  News Release

  NEA Backs High Expectations,
  Fair Assessments
  for Special Needs Students

  'Quality Counts 2004' report
  reflects educators' push for standards

  Washington, D.C -- The National Education Association (NEA) believes that all children must be included in school accountability systems, but in a way that is accurate and appropriate.  In a report released today, Education Week's "Quality Counts 2004" shows that teachers overwhelmingly support high expectations and fair measurements for special needs students.

  "All children, whether disabled or not, can make great achievements," said Reg Weaver, NEA president.  "But in order to make great public schools for every child, we need to remember that we're teaching individual children-each with his or her own needs and abilities.  And any assessments we use should reflect those differences."

  With the increased testing requirements of the "No Child Left Behind" law, Weaver called on states to provide high-quality "alternate assessments" for students with disabilities who need these forms of assessment to accurately measure their achievement.  "Quality Counts" found inadequate testing accommodations for many students with disabilities.

  NEA, on behalf of its 2.7 million members, is urging Congress and the states to increase support for professional development programs, which will lead to educators having sufficient training and time to appropriately assess their students.

  Congress plans to rewrite the federal special education law this year.  NEA asks lawmakers to ensure the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act emerges with full funding, clarification that state-licensed special educators are "highly qualified" teachers under federal law, improved services for students and their families, enhanced educator training and improved learning conditions for students.

  Jan. 7, 2004

  For more information, contact:
  Anjetta McQueen, NEA Public Relations   202-822-7251
  Barbara Parker, NEA Public Relations       202-822-7261

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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.

   

• NEA: News Release -- Local Schools To Benefit from National Grants
  

  News Release

  Local Schools To Benefit
  from National Urban Grants 

  National Education Association awards
  $125,000 to help boost student achievement 

  Washington, D.C. - – Educators in 19 states and 24 large school districts are the lucky recipients of $5,000 grants from the National Education Association (NEA) to fund creative approaches to bridging the gap between state budget cuts and the needs of students.
   
  The NEA Urban Grants program annually funds 25 grassroots projects initiated by local affiliates of NEA. The 2003-04 grant winners were announced at the December 2003 meeting of the National Council of Urban Education Associations in Atlanta, Ga.

  In presenting the awards, NEA President Reg Weaver spoke from the heart:  “Just saying thank you for all you do to meet the incredible challenges you face every day in our nation’s schools seems to fall short. But, NEA is proud to offer what we can to support the difficult work and outstanding creativity demonstrated by these local affiliates.  These 25 locals serve as wonderful examples for other challenging school districts.” 

  The winning projects focus on closing the achievement gap, with a number of projects concentrating on enhancing instruction for the increasing population of students who are learning English.  Plans call for Spanish language survival courses for teachers and school employees to better connect with Hispanic parents and curricula revised for increased relevance to students of color.

  Also in the works are a Web site to engage business and community stakeholders in supporting their local public schools, support systems for teachers seeking National Board Certification, and formation of community coalitions to advocate for changes in unfunded requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as the No Child Left Behind law. 

  Alabama scored the highest number of grants this year with three winning programs. Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois followed with two winners each.  Other grant winners hail from Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee and Utah.

  The urban grant awards are part of a larger NEA effort to make public schools great for every child. Over the past decade, NEA has invested more than $150 million in public school improvement projects that empower teachers and school employees to enhance their work. More than 225 grants have been awarded since the program’s 1985 inception.

  December 19, 2003

  For More Information:
  NEA Communications: 202 822-7200

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  The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary t