NEA and AEAs Positive Agenda for Reauthorizing ESEANCLB

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NEA and AEAs Positive Agenda for Reauthorizing
ESEA/NCLB
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ESEA/No Child Left Behind

• Changed our view of federal role
• First two years of little impact
• Widespread recognition of flaws
• Mandates felt by every member
• AEA expended much staff time to impact
  implementation by ADE and State Board.

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Our Positive Agenda

• Criteria for Great Public Schools
• Prepare all students for the future with 21st
  century skills
• Create enthusiasm for learning and engage all
  students in the classroom
• Close achievement gaps and raise achievement for
  all students
• Ensure that all educators have the resources and
  tools they need to get the job done

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Positive changes to ESEA/NCLB

• Accountability that rewards success and supports
  educators to help students learn
• Use and promote proven means to increase student
  achievement and performance
• CertifiedHQ
• Resources to Ensure a Great Public School for
  Every Child

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Post-Election ESEA/NCLB Landscape
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New Democratic Congress

• Democratic takeover of House and Senate wont
  necessarily translate to support of NEAs
  positive agenda
• Sen. Kennedy and Rep. Miller NCLBs champions -
  chair education committees
• Rep. Miller lists NCLB/ESEA reauthorization as a
  top priority
• Senator Kennedy ranks ESEA in second tier

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New Democratic Congress

• Iraq war over-riding concern
• Fiscal pressures from wars, tax cuts, deficit
  reduction
• Over 25 of Congress not serving when NCLB/ESEA
  passed
• Increasingly vocal conservatives emboldened by
  being in minority

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Bush state-of-union

• Reauthorization a priority
• Extension of flaws
• AYP measurements
• Sanctions, not rewards
• Added negatives
• Vouchers (again)
• Usurp state laws on charters
• Undermine state laws on collective bargaining

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NEA AEA Cannot do this Alone Must have States
Elevate Voices

• Changing landscape requires both an inside the
  beltway strategy and an outside strategy
• Kennedy and Miller ESEA positions affect approach
  to working with Dem committees and leadership,
  making other congresspersons voices crucial
• Real impact only felt by volume and intensity of
  50-state groundswell
• One-on-one congressperson contact more crucial
  given new face of Congress ¼ congresspersons
  new to ESEA
• Last united 50-state issue campaign in 70s where
  everyone worked together to secure new Dept. of
  Ed showed what was possible when we work
  together

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Urgent Action Now

• Meet with members of Congress when they are home
• Email or call members of Congress now
  http//www.nea.org/lac/esea/index.html
• Write letters to the editor(Talking
  points-http//www.arizonaea.org/politics.php?page
  290)
• Form partnerships with administrators, your
  school board, parents and other community groups

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Urgent Action Now

• Encourage your school board to adopt a
  resolution(Sample Resolution-http//www.arizonaea
  .org/pdfs/politics/SchoolBoardResolution.pdf)
• Tell your story(https//websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/3
  5467/NCLBchg.htm)

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A Few Key Dates
April 2-9 U.S. Senate Spring Recess April
12-13 U.S. House Spring Recess May
28-1 Memorial Day Congressional Recess May
17 Brown v. Board of Education Anniversary July
2-6 Independence Day Congressional
Recess August 6 U.S. House and Senate Summer
Recess Begin
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AEA Support

• NCLB Web site (http//www.arizonaea.org/politics.p
  hp?page282)
• Targeting guidance
• Message materials
• Grassroots advocacy toolkit (messaging, sample
  letters and flyers, talking points etc.)
• Legislative updates