Statement by Edward J. McElroy,
President, American Federation of Teachers,
 On President Bush’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Bush’s State of the Union Address can be summed up in four words: too little, too late.

The president mentioned No Child Left Behind, but he continues to turn a blind eye to the law’s flaws. Our members, who work in classrooms every day, see the flaws all too clearly. NCLB puts too much emphasis on testing, fails to recognize schools in which students are making progress, and offers little help to schools that desperately need it. The president’s budget proposals have shortchanged the law year after year. Making matters worse, the president is proposing a school voucher program that would divert $300 million from public schools that serve the vast majority of our students.

For seven years, President Bush has ignored the struggles of middle-class and working-class Americans, who have suffered as a result of his economic policies. If he were committed to helping anyone other than the ultra-rich, he would support an economic stimulus package that includes unemployment insurance extensions, increased support for the Food Stamp Program and increased aid to states facing ever-mounting Medicaid costs. If his priorities included job creation, strengthening our infrastructure and better educational opportunities, we would expect to see a stimulus package that addresses our nation’s $100 billion backlog in school repairs.

 

The president is still in denial about the damage his policies have inflicted on our nation, and his speech to Congress indicates that he is unable or unwilling to provide the leadership we need to move this country forward.

 

 

 

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