Statement by Edward J. McElroy, President, American Federation of Teachers, on the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll on NCLB

The Phil Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll found that the public generally supports the goals of the
No Child Left Behind Act, but they say that the more they know about the law, the more concerns they have.

 “The poll confirms that the public wants a commonsense, workable approach to improving student achievement, not an inflexible, flawed law that impedes educational progress.  That’s why, earlier this year, the AFT began its national NCLB campaign to ‘get it right.’  NCLB’s insistence on using a flawed method to measure schools’ progress must be changed, and schools need promised funds so that NCLB can actually work.  The public gets it; they want a fair way to measure achievement, strong neighborhood public schools, and they want local schools to implement successful programs to close the achievement gap.  Congress and the administration should listen to the American people and get it right.” 

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