"Erase, Rewrite and Reauthorize".
by Elizabeth Ahlgren, NEA Director, Morse High

Imagine attending a meeting where you were told to turn your cell phone on. That's exactly what the nearly ten thousand delegates at this year's NEA representative assembly were asked to do. Why? Congress will soon be reauthorizing ESEA, the legislation that we know as "NCLB". We were all asked to call one of six numbers in Washington in order to stress our message, "Erase, Rewrite and Reauthorize". Our message was simple and direct: use multiple measures and growth models to assess student learning, provide a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, but allow for
flexibility in our rural communities and fund class size reduction.

As educators, we know that one size does not fit all. California has
some of the toughest standards in the nation and we know that not all
our students are equally prepared to reach those standards. Our
message needs to be very clear: we support standards but we believe
in using multiple measures to assess progress toward the standards.

Although Congress has a timeline of up to two years for the
reauthorization of ESEA, we believe that the process will be
concluded this Fall. It's critical that we keep the pressure up and
continue to communicate with our elected officials about our concerns
over the current version of ESEA. Some of our local legislators get
it but others still don't understand the problems with the current
law. We need to continue to try to educate those who do not
understand and the "we" includes you. I'll go to Washington D.C. this fall to lobby the five San Diego area members of Congress but I will be more effective if each member of Congress has heard from 100 SDEA members
before I get there.

I know you are especially busy this time of year, getting your classrooms ready, scheduling students, issuing texts, etc. Make some time to
write, phone or fax your own member of Congress. The stakes are high, so just do it.

Brian Bilbray: 462 Stevens Avenue, Suite 107, Solana Beach, CA 92075
, Phone: 858-350-1150, Fax: 858-350-0750

Susan Davis: 4305 University Avenue, Suite 515, San Diego, CA 92105,
Phone: (619) 280-5353, Fax: (619) 280-5311

Bob Filner: 333 F Street, Suite A, Chula Vista, CA 91910, Phone:
(619) 422-5963, Fax: (619) 422-7290

Duncan Hunter: 1870 Cordell Ct, Ste 206, El Cajon, CA 92020 , Phone:
(619) 448-5201, Fax: (619) 449-2251

Darrell Issa: 1800 Thibodo Road, #310, Vista, CA 92081, phone:
760-599-5000, fax: 760-599-1178

Have a great opening of school,

-Elizabeth Ahlgren, NEA director
eahlgren@yahoo.com