Understanding and Changing ESEA
by Elizabeth Ahlgren, NEA Director, Morse HS

I know you've heard of NCLB but do you know what ESEA is? In the alphabet soup of education, we forget that others don't know what the acronyms stand for so let's make sure we're all speaking the same language.

ESEA is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which was originated in 1965 during Lyndon Johnson's presidency. Veteran teachers in San Diego may remember attending a week long summer conference on ESEA. We used funds to get supplemental materials, pay for reading and math labs and aides in our classrooms. We remember being supported by the funds provided through ESEA. The law needs to be reauthorized periodically and that's where NCLB comes in.

In 2002, the Bush administration gathered support for the reauthorization of ESEA and gave it the very misleading name "No Child Left Behind" or NCLB. This version is severely flawed. We need to help our members of congress understand what will help us do our jobs effectively. By the close of 2007, congress will attempt to pass the next reauthorization of ESEA. As educators it is our duty to let them no how hurtful this law has been and that the NCLB version needs to be erased from the books and ESEA needs to be rewritten to provide support to the students who need it.

As we embark on testing season, think about the few days of testing that identify your school as effective or in need of improvement. Think about how the chase for higher scores impacts your teaching and the education of your students. Think about what you can do to help turn this around.

Study the ESEA issue on the NEA and CTA websites. Call, write or e-mail your personal stories about the impact of NCLB and what we need to see in the reauthorization of ESEA. www.nea.org and www.cta.org both have "issues in education" on their websites. Check it out and then go to NEA's legislative action center to write a letter.We really need personal experiences that come from the heart. Help your congressional members feel the pain of NCLB. You can make a difference so what are you waiting for?

Elizabeth Ahlgren