NEA President Criticizes Testing ProposalsFederal lawmakers are unfairly putting students’ education at risk by relying solely on high-stakes tests to measure their knowledge, according to Bob Chase, the president of the National Education Association (NEA) who addressed NEA delegates on July 4th.
During his speech at the union’s annual Representative Assembly, Chase strongly criticized these efforts, which are part of extensive federal legislation expected to pass within the next few months. He also raised concerns about President Bush’s recent tax cut and questioned his commitment to underprivileged children.
Chase expressed his worries about the negative impact of excessive testing on the overall quality of education. He argued that important aspects such as music, art, scientific exploration, and even recess are being neglected in favor of test preparation. He asked, "What good is education if it only focuses on memorization and not critical thinking?"
The policy in the bills passed by Congress, which aims to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, involves annual testing in reading and mathematics for students in grades 3-8. The results of these tests would partially determine which schools need to make changes. The different versions of the bill will now be reviewed by a conference committee, which will create a final version.
Chase stressed the need to ensure that testing is used as a tool to evaluate students’ strengths and weaknesses, rather than as a means to judge schools. Relying solely on standardized tests does not provide enough information to accurately assess the performance of schools.
At a time when education requires increased funding, Chase criticized the Bush administration for implementing a multi-billion-dollar tax cut. He warned that without adequate funding, any attempts at reform would inevitably fail. It is worth noting that Chase’s union was a strong supporter of Al Gore, President Bush’s Democratic opponent in the 2000 election.
Sandy Kress, Mr. Bush’s chief education adviser, dismissed Chase’s speech as politically motivated and lacking important information. Kress argued that Chase seems to be accepting the current state of education and that progress needs to be made. He emphasized that despite increased spending on education in recent years, improvement has been insufficient. Kress believes it is unacceptable to ignore the failure to make progress.
Kress explained that the bills being considered by House and Senate conferees aim to reward successful schools and provide alternative education options for families with children in underperforming schools. The bills also allow more funding for professional development and reducing class sizes, while granting school districts the flexibility to determine the best use of federal resources.
During a press conference, Chase acknowledged that not everything in the House and Senate bills is problematic. He stated that the NEA has long supported literacy initiatives and assistance for low-performing schools. However, he disagreed with lawmakers who argue that now is not the right time to significantly increase federal spending on special education programs covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Chase expressed his belief that there is no need to delay full funding for IDEA, which has been in existence for 26 years.
The agreement was formulated earlier this year after negotiators acknowledged that it was too early for the two teachers’ unions to consider a plan for a complete merger. A proposal to create a single national teachers’ union was overwhelmingly rejected at the NEA’s 1998 Representative Assembly. Edward Rosenthal, a delegate from Illinois and member of the NEA’s board of directors, expressed opposition to the merger, stating that the document is not a merger document, but rather a partnership document. It allows NEA and AFT to collaborate on areas of agreement while remaining separate and independent.
However, during a one-hour debate on the proposal, some delegates still had concerns about even a small-scale alliance with the AFT. Some delegates protested that the two unions would be equally represented on the new joint council, despite the NEA having significantly more members than the AFT. Others complained about not yet being informed about the specific details of a no-raid agreement negotiated by the leaders of the two unions.
The agreement, which aims to discourage the two unions from targeting each other’s members, will come into effect if the partnership plan is approved. NEA delegates were scheduled to vote by secret ballot on July 6, while the AFT’s executive council planned to review the agreement on July 11.
In addition to the national unions’ efforts to form new alliances, members of two NEA affiliates in New York state have recently voted to switch their allegiances to the AFT. The Greece Teachers Association and the Gananda Teachers Association, both based in suburbs of Rochester, voted last month to end their relationships with NEA-New York. According to union officials, this decision was prompted by issues with the quality of services provided by NEA-New York. This is the first time a local affiliate has left the state affiliate since 1993.
Delegates overwhelmingly approved a report by a special NEA study panel on July 5 that aims to refine the union’s stance on charter schools. While it does not call for major changes in NEA policy, the report shows greater flexibility compared to the organization’s stance in the early 1990s when it opposed charter schools. The report opposes granting charters to for-profit businesses but acknowledges that groups with charters should be allowed to hire profit-making organizations for services, including management services. It also recognizes the need for charter schools to have access to start-up funding and supports financing them at the per-pupil level.
Delegates also began considering the upcoming change in NEA leadership, as the current president’s final year approached. They were scheduled to choose three new members for the executive committee. On the last day of the assembly, two candidates for union president were expected to announce their candidacy: Reg Weaver, the vice president, and Denise Rockwell, a member of the executive committee. Mr. Weaver has a background in the NEA’s state affiliate in Illinois, while Ms. Rockwell has held leadership positions with United Teachers Los Angeles, a local affiliate that includes both NEA and AFT members.