1. The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization that has existed since 1857 and fights for quality education in public schools. The NEA merged with the American Teacher’s Association (ATA) in 1966 by collaborating their efforts to promote equality and justice for all public school children and educators. They support the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as well as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), however, they do not agree the policies are currently working due to how they are being implemented. They have submitted several agendas to Congress outlining the criteria they believe will move schools forward. The NEA is opposed to holding teachers and schools accountable by standardized testing alone. They believe that schools and teachers should be evaluated for the sake of the students but argue that other rational measures should exist in order to make any valid decisions. The NEA supports smaller class sizes, equitable funding, after school programs, and parent-teacher mentoring programs to name a few. They promote the idea of the Growth Model being used as a tool to provide individualized instruction for students instead of penalizing teachers and schools.
The NEA has submitted a great reauthorization plan of the ESEA to Congress emphasizing quality leadership and curriculum by giving teachers a voice in the policy making arena and creating policies that offer incentives for parents who are active in their child’s education. This link provides more insight into NEA’s stance on teacher accountability and provides contacts to reach out to Congress.
great link. thanks for sharing.
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