Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
On the Sixth Anniversary of The No Child Left Behind Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tests, tests and more tests. Ask teachers what the No Child Left Behind Act has accomplished, and that is what you will hear.

Enacting a better law will require strong leadership from the White House, but President Bush refuses to acknowledge the law’s flaws and was AWOL last year while Congress was attempting to rewrite NCLB.

Our members, who have six years of hands-on experience with the law, know NCLB is fundamentally flawed. By focusing exclusively on test scores and setting aside teacher judgment, the law has created a “teach to the test” mania that is overwhelming American schools and narrowing the curriculum. Teachers and students need a law that supports good teaching, gives credit to schools when students are making progress, and offers real help—not unproven mandates—for struggling schools.

Just yesterday, a federal court ruling provided what should be a reality check for those who resist changing NCLB. The ruling allows the plaintiffs in Pontiac v. Spellings to challenge the federal government’s failure to adequately fund the law.

As we move into NCLB’s seventh year, there is one principle we all agree on: To get federal education policy right, the people on the front lines of education must be involved at every step. 

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