Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
On the U.S. Department of Education’s
Hurricane Katrina Recovery Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Federation of Teachers appreciates Education Secretary Margaret Spellings’ quick response to President Bush’s speech last night and the proposal to provide new support for schools, students and teachers affected by the hurricane.
 
The AFT is working with Congress and the administration to ensure that rebuilding and reopening schools becomes a top priority. Reopening schools has a positive ripple effect across communities, as it encourages families to return home, creates jobs and acts as an incentive for business redevelopment to meet commercial needs of the community.  It also is a visible indicator that the community is returning to a semblance of normalcy.
 
We must assist the tens of thousands of students who have been displaced by offering significant resources to schools that have agreed to educate these children. We do not believe that the voucher plan in the Department of Education’s proposal is the right way to provide that assistance, however, and we urge Congress to work quickly toward solutions that fulfill the needs of students and the schools that serve them, rather than an  ideological agenda.
 
We hope the president and Congress will rethink this aspect of the president’s plan.  The AFT is eager to work closely with members of Congress and others who are seeking to rebuild communities and give people the help they need to recover.

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