NEA's attempt to gut NCLB

From DFER board member Diane Piche, Exec Dir of the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights:

Last week was a big week on this theme.  Here’s one more bit of news. 

The NEA and the National School Boards Association – each long-time opponents of strong accountability and of parents’ rights to better choices for their children – have managed to get two of their allies in Congress to introduce legislation that would effectively nullify all the important accountability provisions of No Child Left Behind Act:  school improvement, corrective action, restructuring, public school choice, and supplemental educational services (aka free tutoring).  (For a good write-up, see Charlie Barone’s 6/13 post at http://www.swiftandchangeable.org/)

In a remarkable display of conviction, unity and speed, five national civil rights organizations responded with one voice, strongly urging Congress to reject the proposal:  MALDEF, NAACP, National Council of LaRaza, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, and CCCR.   In addition, the Hispanic Education Coalition – with over two dozen member organizations – also called on Congress to recognize the bill for what it is:  at attempt to allow states and school districts to keep spending federal education dollars with no accountability whatsoever.   

FYI, the name of the bill is the “No Child Left Behind Recess Until Reauthorization Act” and is sponsored by Reps. Graves (R-MO) and Walz (D-MN).  If you have a minute, please email your reps in Congress and tell them it’s a really bad idea and ask them not to co-sponsor.  If they are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the senior Caucus member of the Ed and Labor Committee taking the lead in opposing the bill is Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) of Chicago.  If you are in NYC, you should know that as of this weekend, the AFT (read Randi Weingarten) had not come out publicly in support of the bill.  Another FYI:  Chairman George Miller (D-CA) does not want an anti-NCLB vote on the House floor before November. 

Stay tuned…

Three cheers for Diane and the other civil rights organizations for standing up to the unions!