PrintAFT: Extend school year for struggling students
AFT president Edward J. McElroy proposed extending the school year into the summer in order to provide intensive instruction and enriching out-of-classroom activities for the nation’s most vulnerable K-3 students in his July 12 keynote address at the union’s 2007 QuEST (Quality Educational Standards in Teaching) Conference in Washington, D.C.
Speaking before more than 2,000 teachers, paraprofessionals and school officials at the AFT’s national professional issues conference, McElroy said, “We are simply losing too many children during the long summer months, when they forget much of what they learned during the school year.”
The AFT’s proposal is designed to help counteract the so-called “summer drop-off effect,” a well-documented loss of knowledge that occurs during the summer months and is more severe for disadvantaged students. Although the program would be developed in each state according to its needs, McElroy proposed that the summer extension last a minimum of 20 days. The summer extension would offer struggling students instructional methods proven to be effective, as well as enriching experiences such as museum visits, educational field trips and other summer activities.
McElroy called for screening by teachers and other school personnel—beginning in prekindergarten and continuing through third grade—to determine which students would benefit from an extended year. Research has shown that brief individual screenings, conducted several times a year, can identify students who are struggling.
“We need to do a better job of identifying young children, from pre-K to grade 3, who start out behind—and continue to fall further behind.” McElroy said. A strong body of research confirms that academic problems are much easier to address when detected early.
McElroy asked the AFT’s state affiliates to work with their legislative leaders to develop state-by-state legislation to enact his proposal.
The AFT president also announced the release of “Charting the Course: The AFT’s Education Agenda To Reach All Children.” The five action priorities address critical elements of school improvement: teaching quality; safe and orderly schools; early reading instruction and intervention; a common, knowledge-rich curriculum; and intensive assistance to high-poverty schools.
No Child Left Behind—McElroy also addressed the nation’s hottest education topic: the upcoming reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. He cited the AFT’s recommendations for changing the law’s faulty accountability system, its interventions for schools in need of improvement and its requirements for student testing. McElroy said, “We will work with and support measures that improve our schools, and we will oppose any bill that doesn’t.”
Educators as activists—The AFT president praised AFT members for their activism in the 2006 elections, which he said helped elect members of Congress, state legislators and governors who appreciate the value of public education and workers’ rights.
Emphasizing that the 2008 elections also are critical to AFT members, McElroy invited attendees to visit the AFT’s You Decide 2008 Web site (www.aft.org/youdecide/). Through the site, AFT members and others can learn about the presidential candidates, watch videos of their speeches, read their responses to the AFT’s questionnaire, and even raise questions for the candidates.
McElroy said that choosing a candidate is just the beginning of the work: “Once we as a union decide whom to support for the highest office in the land, as well as for other important elections, the real work begins.”
As long as New Orleans continues with its dual and unequal school systems, students in the district of last resort—the state-operated Recovery School District (RSD)—will be shortchanged. Current policies are perpetuating an acute shortage of experienced teachers.
These are the chief conclusions of a report released this summer by the AFT, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT) and the AFT-United Teachers of New Orleans (AFT-UTNO).
“No Experience Necessary: How the New Orleans School Takeover Experiment Devalues Experienced Teachers” chronicles the missteps made during the state takeover, including the creation of a Balkanized school system; the firing of virtually all teachers and other school district staff, which prompted a mass exodus of experienced teachers; and the refusal to restore collective bargaining rights.
“By dismissing thousands of school employees, state officials have forced the RSD into a constant recruitment mode that is drawing resources away from programs needed to raise student achievement,” says LFT president Steve Monaghan.
Today, veteran teachers make up less than half of the teaching staff in RSD regular and charter schools. The dearth of experienced teachers is especially disturbing given the research demonstrating the strong connection between experienced teachers and higher student performance.
“The ‘No Experience Necessary’ sign must be taken down. Teachers and school staff can no longer be excluded from the dialogue on reshaping New Orleans public schools,” says AFT-UTNO president Brenda Mitchell. Teacher pay does not appear to be the most significant factor in the shortage of seasoned teachers; the major issues are respect, working conditions and having a real voice in education decisions.
The report makes several recommendations for attracting and retaining teachers, including making seasoned teachers full partners in the rebuilding effort.
LFT and AFT-UTNO leaders presented the report’s findings and recommendations to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
“Although some RSD officials have met with us to discuss our findings, we have yet to see a genuine commitment by the state to work with the union and change their approach to recruitment and retention,” says Mitchell. “Until they address the working conditions inside our schools and give employees a real voice in decisions, their recruitment strategy is likely to fall short.”
For more information on what’s happening in New Orleans, visit www.aft.org/topics/neworleans/index.htm.
