AZ Education Association Responds to Rod Paige

AEA ^ | Penny Kotterman, President

[hsmomx3]

February 25, 2004

Dear Editor,

The efforts of the National Education Association and the Arizona Education Association will not be minimized nor will our membership be marginalized by the caustic and unfounded remarks spewed by Secretary of Education Rod Paige. In fact, his unrepentant attacks have galvanized educators throughout the state and nation. Our members are the National Education Association.

We’ve asked Congress to fix and fund the No Child Left Behind Act. It is a law that is well intentioned but deeply flawed with its unfunded mandates, its one-size-fits-all approach to learning and its heavy reliance on standardized tests to measure achievement. If anyone wants to know about the day-to-day hardships of implementing NCLB, just talk to any educator in any Arizona classroom.

Educators are not alone in their opposition. At least a dozen states have raised cautionary flags or are considering opting out of the federal program. This week the Arizona Senate passed, by a 28-1-1 vote, a resolution demanding changes in NCLB to make it more flexible and provide adequate funding for the mandates. The Arizona House has 30 co-sponsors on a bill that wants Arizona to opt out completely.

Let’s set the record straight. It was the NEA and its state affiliates working with the state education boards and legislators — and not the Bush administration — that led the charge for highly qualified teachers in the classroom, high academic standards and more stringent accountability measures. It is that advocacy for Great Public Schools for Every Child that will bring 2,000 activists to the Arizona State Capitol on March 3. We will formalize our concerns regarding unfunded mandates, state funding that ranks Arizona 49th in per pupil expenditures, and the need for early childhood education.

To exercise our right of free speech and to hold our elected officials accountable is not a terrorist act. It is an exercise in democracy. It’s about time the Bush administration understood the difference.

Sincerely,

Penny Kotterman, President Arizona Education Association

[newgeezer]

caustic and unfounded remarks spewed by Secretary of Education Rod Paige

Hey, Penny. You're really cute when you're mad.</sarcasm>

[c-b 1]

ping

[optimistically_conservative]

Sex abuse by Educators

These are your "members" NEA/AEA.

[c-b 1]

The Arizona House has 30 co-sponsors on a bill that wants Arizona to opt out completely.

The Bill number is HB2696, Representative Karen Johnson is the sponsor, there are 45 co-sponsors on the bill.

We need to make some phone calls to our reps on this one. We have an advantage here, one of my reps who is a lefty is a co-sponsor.

[hsmomx3]

And if this passes, all property owners will see their prop. taxes skyrocket.

[P.O.E.]

Ping

[Born Conservative]

[MileHi]

We will formalize our concerns regarding unfunded mandates, state funding that ranks Arizona 49th in per pupil expenditures, and the need for early childhood education.

Hey! According to the Colorado Education Association WE are 49th in funding. We can't let you just steal that propoganda, can we?

While Colo is about in the middle of per pupil dollars, CEA figures this based on an "ability to spend" formula to make this bogus claim. Screw all of these so-called "education" associations.

[c-b 1]

And if this passes, all property owners will see their prop. taxes skyrocket.

It shouldn't, the fed can't cut off school funding for opting out of "No Child Left Behind." there are federal statutes which prevent defunding schools.

[c-b 1]

I called Representative Johnson's office about this bill this morning, the chairman of the Education Committee refused to hold a hearing on it, the bill has been attatched to another bill, which is being debated in a committee hearing today.