AFT President Calls for Changes to NCLB, Teacher Compensation

Washington, D.C. — American Federation of Teachers president Edward J. McElroy today called for significant changes in the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in order to realize the goals of the law, cautioning that "the entire standards movement is in jeopardy if the shortcomings of NCLB are left unaddressed."  Speaking before more than 2,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and school officials gathered in Washington, D.C. for the AFT's national professional issues conference, McElroy also called for changes in the way teachers are compensated, discussed the future of the AFL-CIO and urged teachers to play an active role on issues of concern to educators, students, schools and communities.

McElroy noted teachers' widespread dissatisfaction with parts of NCLB.  "The AFT supports the law's underlying goals of high standards and accountability," he said.  However, the AFT president said, "those good intentions have given way to unintended – and unacceptable – consequences." 

Teachers are concerned, McElroy said, that some changes resulting from NCLB have had harmful effects, like academic subjects getting short shrift in favor of subjects that "count" toward NCLB and the law's accountability measures being unfair and inaccurate ways of determining student and school performance.        

McElroy reinforced that the AFT's objective, as well as the focus of a current AFT national  grass-roots campaign ("NCLB -- Let's Get It Right"), is to correct the shortcomings of the law, not to abandon it.  AFT's support, however, is qualified upon necessary changes in NCLB. 

"The AFT will never back away from high standards and accountability," McElroy said.  "However, NCLB will never work without changes in the law, proper implementation and necessary funding." 

Teacher Compensation
McElroy also advocated a "move toward a different approach to teacher compensation.  Traditional salary systems have not resulted in compensation for teachers that reflects the professional nature of their work," he said. 

Many alternative pay plans also have faults, McElroy cautioned, including a lack of objective criteria, opening the door to favoritism, instituting quotas rather than rewarding all who are worthy of additional compensation, or breeding harmful competition. 

In contrast, McElroy pointed to "more promising ways to compensate teachers as the professionals they are."  Professional compensation, he said, starts with competitive base pay and benefits for all teachers.  Beyond that, McElroy continued, a number of AFT affiliates have implemented supplemental pay options such as pay for: additional roles, National Board Certification, teaching in hard-to-staff schools, schoolwide improvements, and for knowledge and skills teachers demonstrate in the classroom.

Changes to teacher compensation could address the interests of teachers, as well as school districts, McElroy said.  Teachers could be fairly compensated for the important work they do, and districts could offer incentives for teachers to work in hard-to-staff schools or to earn a second credential in a shortage area, for example. 

AFL-CIO
McElroy, a member of the AFL-CIO executive committee, also discussed the future of the AFL-CIO, and addressed assertions by some union leaders that they will leave the labor federation if their demands for change are not met. 

"The AFT is stronger for being a part of the larger union movement," McElroy said.  "For decades and generations, we have advanced causes important to our members and those they serve through the AFL-CIO." 

"Everyone in this country who is looking to have a better life, a better country, and better prospects for their children is set back by anything that weakens the labor movement," he said.  "The AFT will continue to work from inside the labor federation to make productive changes." 

Teachers as Activists
McElroy called on teachers to be active on local, state and federal issues "that affect you, your colleagues, and the students you teach."  He emphasized the AFT's own efforts to advance an agenda and urged teachers and school employees to do the same. 

"If you want better laws, education policies or compensation, you need to get involved," McElroy said, noting that the AFT has a program through which AFT activists and leaders can participate in visits with members of Congress to discuss issues of importance to AFT members and those they serve. 

McElroy's speech was the keynote address at QuEST (Quality Educational Standards in Teaching), AFT's biennial professional issues conference for educators, being held July 7-10 at the Hilton Washington in Washington, D.C.

• Download the text of the speech (PDF)
  

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