Statement

Statement by Reg Weaver, President,
National Education Association,
on the Teacher Excellence for All Children Act

WASHINGTON – Below is a statement from National Education Association (NEA) President Reg Weaver about the Teacher Excellence for All Children (TEACH) Act of 2005 which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by California Congressman George Miller and in the U.S. Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy:

"On behalf of the 2.7 million teachers and education support professionals in the NEA, I would like to commend Congressman Miller and Senator Kennedy for their leadership on this important piece of legislation.

"We know that every child deserves a high quality teacher in his or her classroom. Too often, poor working conditions, low salary and a lack of preparation and support leads to high turnover in our schools. This is especially true in schools of highest need, where the students are from low income families and need the most help to succeed. This bill addresses these concerns with common sense incentives for teachers to stay in the classroom.

"The NEA is continuously working to bring more diversity to the teaching workforce so that it better reflects the diversity in our classrooms. One way is through programs like the NEA’s partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation, which offers financial and professional development assistance to assist minority teachers and teacher candidates get their certification.

"We look forward to working with Congressman Miller, Senator Kennedy and other policymakers to make this bill a reality and get a high quality teacher in every classroom. It’s what America’s children deserve."

June 9, 2005

For more informantion, contact:

Denise Cardinal, NEA Public Relations      (202) 822-7239
Daniel Kaufman, NEA Public Relations      (202) 822-7268

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         The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.