AFT President Edward J. McElroy meets with Puerto Rico’s
Resident Commissioner Luis G. Fortuño

Discussion covers increasing federal education funding for Puerto Rico
and improving implementation of NCLB

Washington, D.C. - At a meeting held on Capitol Hill yesterday evening, AFT president Edward J. McElroy and Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner Luis G. Fortuño discussed collaborating on a number of items, including the AFT’s proposal to increase federal education funds for the island.  Also discussed was the union’s call for greater oversight in the use of federal education monies for Puerto Rico and for improving the implementation of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. 

"We are very pleased to be working with the resident commissioner on these matters,” said McElroy.  "Our members in Puerto Rico deserve greater support from the federal government.  The resident commissioner and we at the AFT are committed to ensuring they receive it." 

The AFT last year lobbied successfully for federal funds to cover $150 monthly salary increases for Puerto Rico’s teachers.  "We won the fight on salary increases, and we will continue to work to secure every resource that teachers on the island need and deserve," McElroy said. "Our priority is not just funding, however.  It’s also adequate implementation of federal laws like NCLB."

The AFT has proposed increasing Title I funds for the island to $910 million, the level authorized under NCLB. The union proposed careful review of the law’s implementation to ensure that schools are being identified in a fair and adequate manner when it comes to meeting the goal of adequate yearly progress. To this end, AFT regularly hosts workshops throughout Puerto Rico on NCLB implementation.  Most recently, two teachers from the island took part in AFT's NCLB task force meeting in Washington, D.C., joining other AFT members from across the United States to discuss ways in which the law’s implementation could be improved.

AFT's senior national representative in Puerto Rico, Nancy Morales, and AFT director of legislation, Tor Cowan, also took part in the meeting with the Puerto Rican resident commissioner and his key legislative aides.  A meeting between the AFT and Eduardo Bhatia, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for Friday.

# # # #