Ohio NCLB conference draws AFT, NEA leaders

More than 200 teachers and administrators from districts across Ohio gathered in late February for a groundbreaking conference focused on implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The Feb. 22-23 event was the first joint conference ever held by the Ohio Federation of Teachers/AFT and its NEA counterpart, the Ohio Education Association--underscoring both the importance of NCLB and the need for coordinated AFT-NEA activities on the centerpiece federal education law at every union level.

An overview of the law was provided by Rob Weil, deputy director of the AFT educational issues department, and Thomas Blanford, director of teacher quality at the NEA. Ohio's revamped accountability system and the state's approach to "adequate yearly progress," a key benchmark for judging school performance under NCLB, were the focus of a presentation by Mitch Chester of the Ohio Department of Education.

"Accountability for Ohio schools in particular was an important topic" at the conference, says Deborah Tully, professional issues coordinator for the OFT. Presenters focused on the practical realities of NCLB, "a combination of 'what is the law about' and 'how can we help you implement it in your school district.'"

The conference was funded in part by a $25,000 grant from the Knowledge Works Foundation. National staff from both the AFT and the NEA led and participated in many of the sessions that tackled such issues as special education and NCLB, effective use of data for the classroom teacher, and the union's role in implementing the law.

"In today's world, it is imperative that all education organizations collaborate to advance public education," observes OFT president Tom Mooney, who is also an AFT vice president. "This conference is one big step in helping the members of our two organizations understand the requirements of the reauthorized federal law."
 

A not-so-bright idea

The AFT's state federation in New York recently blasted the U.S. Department of Education for bankrolling a media campaign that is nothing more than a series of "advertorials" designed to gin up business for a choice school in Albany.

Three television ads hit the air in upstate New York this year and feature a toll-free phone number and parents whose children are happy at the Brighter Choice Charter School. The ads show uniformed students attending school with big smiles--and a laptop computer on every desk. One of the 30-second spots features a single father who says, "Brighter Choice has changed my life and [my son's] life. He's a happier child coming to school and I'm a happier parent sending him [to school]. Give parents a choice. Give children a brighter future."

The ads are part of a six-figure TV campaign funded by a $4.4 million discretionary grant from the U.S. Department of Education. They are supposed to explain what options the federal No Child Left Behind Act offers to those Albany parents whose children are in struggling schools. The ads, however,  fail to mention the names of the three city schools in Albany that have been deemed low-performing, nor do they explain transfer or tutoring options available. The project could be a disturbing sign of things to come: President Bush's budget proposal earmarks millions more for similar "choice" projects.

The AFT has asked Education Secretary Rod Paige's office to document the department's decision to award the discretionary grant to Brighter Choice. The department had not responded to this request as American Teacher went to press.

"There's nothing informational about these ads: They're selling a product--at taxpayer expense," says New York State United Teachers president Thomas Y. Hobart Jr., who is also an AFT vice president. "In these times, when we're fighting for every education dollar, I wish they'd spend the money on helping kids rather than on these outrageous commercials.

"Public schools could never get away with this."

Rochester local to provide tutoring under NCLB

Students in Rochester, N.Y., will continue to be tutored by certified teachers represented by the Rochester Teachers Association (RTA). In February, the local's Dial-A-Teacher program was approved as a provider of Supplemental Educational Services (SES) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

NCLB does not require that providers employ certified teachers. The AFT's Rochester affiliate felt, however, that certified teachers were the most qualified tutors. "Our teachers are the ones who best know the students, the curriculum and the schools," Dial-A-Teacher director Mark Powers says.

The RTA's Dial-A-Teacher program has been assisting students with homework questions for more than 20 years. The program also offers tutoring at branches of the Rochester public library and recreation centers.

Under NCLB, students in schools that have been identified for two or more years as needing improvement must be offered the option of receiving Supplemental Educational Services such as tutoring. These services are paid for with mandated set-asides in a district's Title I funds.

It was the Dial-A-Teacher program's experience as a source of tutors for Rochester students that prompted the union to apply to become an SES provider. RTA president Adam Urbanski, who is also an AFT vice president, thought it was important that the union take a proactive approach toward NCLB. "Various provisions of this law may undermine public education," he points out. "If we sit by and just see what happens, we risk losing opportunities to make this law as good for our students as possible."

The Dial-A-Teacher program will begin tutoring in English language arts and mathematics for the 2003-04 school year.

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