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Washington, DC -- With the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) right around the corner, U.S. Rep. Ron Klein (FL-22) delivered recommendations to the Chairman of the House Education Committee, Congressman George Miller (CA), urging the Committee to adopt changes to the legislation that reflect the interest and priorities of children, teachers and schools throughout Florida.
Among the suggestions Klein submitted include: allowing teachers to have more input during the drafting process of federally mandated standardized tests; conduct a non-partisan study on the cost and effectiveness of reinstituting a national class size reduction program; designate National Board Certification for teachers as “highly qualified”; and give teachers more flexibility to pursue a higher education and board certification.
“I’ve had the opportunity to speak with parents, teachers, and administrators throughout South Florida, who have told me that while the No Child Left Behind Act includes some well-intentioned measures, the legislation is flawed and inadequately funded,” said Klein. “If we’re going to create federal laws that our educators must adhere to, we must provide them the tools they need to meet these goals.”
Klein said one of the top concerns he hears from teachers throughout Florida’s 22nd Congressional district is that the pressure to alter their curriculum to the material tested in the statewide NCLB exams is burdensome, and prohibits them from teaching students important critical thinking and cognitive skills.
“Because many teachers are forced to shift their classroom focus to ‘teaching the test,’ many teachers feel they are denying their students a well rounded education,” said Klein. “I’ve therefore recommended that teachers be allowed to have more input in the drafting of these standardized tests. We need to help students become successful citizens in the 21st Century by building their skills in reasoning, thinking critically and being creative, not just filling in answers on a standardized test. And our teachers should be a part of this process.”
Klein said another concern he often hears from teachers and parents is that the number of students in many classrooms is becoming so high that it’s difficult to effectively teach students. Klein called for a comprehensive study of the impact of reducing class sizes on the overall quality of education.
“Reducing class size is an important way to improve the educational experience for our children. Our Country needs to move in that direction for the benefit of our youth,” said Klein.
Under the current law, teachers who have National Board Certification, which is considered to be among the highest symbols of teacher achievement, are not considered “highly qualified” in every state. Klein is pushing to allow teachers who have National Board Certification to be considered “highly qualified” in every state, and also said teachers who choose to pursue an advance degree should be given the flexibility to do so.
“Our teachers who are required, under No Child Left Behind to demonstrate that they are highly qualified through rigorous testing in the subjects they teach, or by obtaining advanced degrees and/or National Board Certification should be given the flexibility and assistance they need to do so,” said Klein. “Unfortunately, the No Child Left Behind Act does not provide enough assistance or allow time off for teachers who want to do so. I am recommending that teachers have the opportunity to take a reasonable sabbatical to complete this certification, or obtain an advanced degree. Further, we should provide financial assistance for tuition, books and certification fees, and offer tutoring services for teachers who are pursuing advanced certification while teaching full time. A teacher’s work is extremely valuable, and we should be assisting them in advancing their teaching skills.
“In addition, I have also recommended that the National Board Certification be designated as “highly qualified” and held under the highest esteem in every state.
“I support the original intent of No Child Left Behind, and I believe it is important to continue to hold our schools to high standards,” Klein continued. “This legislation has helped improve student achievement in schools across the country. However we need to ease stringent provisions that are making the classroom experience less productive, and place unreasonable expectations on our students and our teachers without fulfilling funding promises. I look forward to working with the Education Committee, as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, to make these important changes.”
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