Last week, NEA announced its opposition to the House’s NCLB discussion draft. Its California chapter launched an online advertising campaign against the draft. This week, it’s clear they haven’t changed their minds.
Yesterday, NEA sent out this “action alert” urging members to contact their members of Congress about the bill.
The overall message is to tell Congress to “slow down,” the alert says.
It concludes: “Instead of rushing to pass legislation that will offer more bureaucracy, more mandates, and less help for students and educators, Congress should take the time to craft a bill that will truly help ensure great public schools for every child!”
The alert also lists the things the union doesn’t like in the draft. Its accountability plan relies “overwhelmingly on just two (reading and math) low-quality statewide standardized tests.” It includes pay for performance for teachers. It doesn’t include class-size reduction. And more.
In San Francisco today, the California Teachers Association will hold a news conference outside the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The NEA affiliate will unveil a postcard opposing the House draft that 1,000 California teachers signed. The news advisory, which is not online, says the postcard is the size of a garage door. The CTA has its own legislative alert.
This is quite a public display of the union’s power, and it’s over a discussion draft. What’s going to be next?
