Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
on Flexibility in Assessing English Language Learners

A front-page Washington Post article today highlights efforts in Fairfax County, Va.,
to make the No Child Left Behind Act fairer for English language learners

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal and state education policy has often relied more on political maneuvering than on the professional opinions of teachers, and the consequences are evident in the law's flawed approach to English language learners, described in today's Washington Post.

Our members, many of whom work every day teaching young children whose first language is not English, know what students need.  They have made it clear to us that the current one-year exemption from having the test scores of English language learners included in NCLB's accountability formula is not sufficient.  The AFT's recommendations for the law (available at www.aft.org/nclbrecs.pdf) call for the federal government to extend the one-year exemption and for states to provide better, more appropriate assessments for English language learners.  The AFT fully supports the parents, teachers and school administrators in Fairfax County, New York state and elsewhere who are seeking a fair, flexible and realistic approach to assessing large numbers of English language learners. 

If we really want federal education policies to improve teaching and learning, we need to set aside the one-size-fits-all federal rules that often interfere with teachers' work.  Instead, we should use teachers' expertise to develop policies that support good classroom practices.

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