Statement of Edward J. McElroy, president of the American Federation of Teachers,
on the No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004

Washington, D.C. – The No Child Left Behind Improvement Act of 2004 is an important first step toward correcting some of the key problems that have plagued the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act since its passage.

While the U.S. Department of Education has turned a deaf ear to those closest to the classroom, Sen. Edward Kennedy and the other sponsors of this legislation have not. They have listened to the concerns expressed by our members and worked to remedy a number of the problems the Department has failed to correct.

The solutions proposed in the bill offer commonsense relief to many states, school districts and teachers as they strive to raise student achievement. For example, under the bill, teachers and paraprofessionals will better be able to demonstrate their qualifications. In addition, numerous schools and districts unfairly penalized before corrections were made to the law’s regulations will have a chance to recalculate their progress under the Kennedy bill.

Securing these changes will help provide some of the flexibility needed to meet the goals of the law. The AFT urges Congress to pass this bill swiftly. We will continue to try to work with Congress to address these and other problems with NCLB so that the law can deliver its promise to our nation’s students.

To view the bill, click here.

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