Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
on the Fifth Anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), our hope for reaching its stated goals is tempered by our members' years of actual experience in the classroom under NCLB.  It is clear that the law’s goals cannot be achieved unless serious flaws in the law are corrected.

As members of Congress work to reauthorize the law, they would be wise to listen to teachers and parents, who know firsthand the law's flaws, particularly in the areas of assessment and accountability, school improvement and interventions, school staffing and funding, and systemwide accountability.  The stakes are high: If NCLB's problems are not properly acknowledged and addressed, our children, public schools, teachers and, ultimately, our country will suffer.

We look forward to working with Congress and others who are committed to making needed changes to the law, and our recommendations for reauthorization, available at www.aft.org/nclbrecs.pdf, offer a blueprint for building a better law.

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