Statement by Sandra Feldman
President, American Federation of Teachers
on the First Anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act reminds Americans of a great promise to improve public schools--and of how much work lies ahead. By its title, its promise of increased investment in education, and its sharp focus on accountability, this law was intended to provide better educational opportunities for students, especially those who are struggling. As we said when this law was enacted, it will be effective only if the federal commitment to education is sustained.

We continue to believe that this law can be an effective framework for strengthening schools--provided our lawmakers have the courage to fulfill the promises they made when they passed the law.

Our schools, particularly those that educate the most disadvantaged children, need what this law promised--highly qualified teachers, smaller class sizes and reading instruction based on research. Unfortunately, this promise has not been kept--the fiscal year 2003 education budget has yet to be enacted, leaving states, school districts and local officials uncertain about what to expect and unable to plan for the future. Enacting the budget is a beginning, but it’s not nearly enough.

To fulfill this law’s mandate and help all students achieve high academic standards will require a much more significant financial investment and the commitment by lawmakers to make wise choices and resist quick fixes.

Only when the president’s strong words are matched by real action will our nation’s students and schools be well served.

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The AFT represents more than 1.2 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.