AFT PRESIDENT SANDRA FELDMAN
HIGHLIGHTS THE PROMISE AND PROBLEMS OF NCLB,
CALLS FOR BOOST IN PARENTS’ ROLE IN EDUCATION

Address before 3,000 Educators Urges Constructive Response to Federal Law

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Efforts to undermine the No Child Left Behind law, the reauthorized federal Elementary and Secondary Act, pose as much of a threat to the education of poor children as do many of the very real problems with the law, American Federation of Teachers president Sandra Feldman told a group of 3,000 educators today.  Feldman spoke at QuEST, the AFT’s biennial professional issues conference for educators.

Feldman said that when "anxiety over the law gets whipped up into a generalized, simplistic ‘down with the law’ mantra, it jeopardizes Title I," the most important federal commitment to the education of poor children.

The AFT president announced that the union will accumulate statistics on the impact of the law and formulate a fact-based response around which a consensus can be formed about how best to improve the law.  The union also will press for the promised full funding of NCLB.

Feldman reiterated the AFT’s longstanding support for high academic standards and achievement, eradicating achievement gaps between the haves and have nots, accountability, and making sure that every teacher in every school is qualified -- which all are fundamental goals of the law. 

She said that when ESEA was reauthorized in 1994 it successfully replaced "meaningless requirements with high standards and sound practices for qualifying teachers."  She noted that the most recent reauthorization could lead to further improvements in the quality of teacher education, induction and professional development programs and, perhaps, an end to out-of-license teaching.

Feldman pointed out that educators working in schools serving poor children have been subject to standards, testing and accountability provisions since they were introduced into Title I in 1994. 

A Call for Constructive Change

Even as she lauded the goals of ESEA, Feldman acknowledged significant problems in the law, from unworkable benchmarks for schools’ progress, to the loss of funds for schools most in need of adequate resources.

 "Those who refuse to recognize the very real problems in the law jeopardize our public schools and children as much as those who refuse to see any good in it at all," Feldman said.

Feldman paid special attention to the flaws in NCLB’s measurement of annual school improvement, referred to as Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

"Despite the word ‘progress’ in Adequate Yearly Progress, the formula doesn’t really give credit for progress," Feldman noted.

"A school may make a large amount of progress in a year," she said.  "But if it misses its predetermined target, just like the school that made zero progress, it’ll be sanctioned, instead of praised."

Despite such problems, Feldman advocated a constructive approach to the law.

"If all we do is focus on the potential harm that can be done by the law, then we’ll be doing a disservice to our students, our profession, our union and to each and every individual teacher."

Feldman promised that the AFT would closely monitor AYP and other parts of the law, gathering the necessary evidence to "expose the indefensible."

            The AFT will work with leading measurement experts to evaluate whether schools actually have been able to reach annual AYP targets, and whether a school is being identified for sanctions because of statistical anomalies or for genuine academic reasons, Feldman announced.

Armed with this data, the AFT will then act to get a congressional hearing on the implementation of the new law, and will work with members on both sides of the aisle to make specific necessary changes.  Reopening the law without this kind of consensus could result in harmful unintended consequences in this "dangerous political climate," Feldman warned.      

Advances in Early Educational Opportunities, Entreaties to Parents

In her speech, Feldman noted considerable progress toward realizing the proposals she has championed in recent years for achieving universal access to high-quality preschool, especially for poor children.  Kindergarten-Plus, an expansion of kindergarten into the summer before and the summer after children would normally enter school, was recently adopted into law in New Mexico, and the first students enrolled last week.  Similar legislation has been introduced in Illinois and Rhode Island, and the AFT is talking to key members of Congress about developing a federal Kindergarten-Plus program. 

Feldman also linked the importance of early educational experiences to the crucial role of parents in student success.  She said that the absence of parent involvement is "a gaping hole in the education -- the very character, lives and future -- of children." 

"Kids need their parents to have high academic and behavioral expectations for them and to read to them from an early age.  They need their parents to talk regularly with their teachers, check their homework, attend their athletic events and performances, and keep a close watch on their social lives."

Feldman announced her intention to work with early childhood organizations, health professionals, and other groups to create a program for new parents that will demonstrate the importance of certain parenting practices. 

Feldman applauded the tremendous academic progress that so many public schools and districts have made in recent years, thanked educators for their hard work, and exhorted them to maintain their efforts. 

Read the full text of this speech.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 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.