June 1, 2006

Contact: Miguel A. Gonzalez    (202) 822-7823

New NCLB Policy Puts
Thousands of Teachers' Careers in Jeopardy

NEA President urges administration, Congress to abandon policy

WASHINGTON -- National Education Association President Reg Weaver this week urged Congress and the U.S. Department of Education to retract a policy that conflicts with provisions of the No Child Left Behind law.  The policy would eliminate an important route used by thousands of teachers to comply with the law's "highly qualified" teacher requirements.

The High, Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE)  provision of the law allows teachers who are not new to the profession to meet the highly qualified requirement by demonstrating subject-matter mastery through experience, expertise, and professional training gained over time in the profession.  In a May 12 letter to chief state school officers, the department mandated that states limit the use of HOUSSE after the end of the 2005-06 school year and asked each state to outline its plans for phasing out this provision.

"Today's teachers are more educated and qualified than ever," Weaver said. "Yet some teachers, through no fault of their own, are getting caught in NCLB's web of complex policy revisions and requirements.  This decision will cause irreparable harm to thousands of teachers and deprive students from being taught by experienced, dedicated educators."

Under NCLB, each state must submit a plan to the department outlining the steps to ensure that 100 percent of teachers meet the highly qualified requirement by the end of the 2006-07 school year.  The law defines highly qualified teachers as those who have fulfilled the state's certification and licensure requirements and can demonstrate they know each subject they teach. Teachers who are not new to the profession can opt to use HOUSSE as an alternative to having an academic major or passing a test in each of the subjects they teach to meet NCLB's highly qualified teacher requirements.

"NEA firmly supports NCLB's goal of ensuring all teachers are highly qualified," Weaver said. "Yet there are thousands of teachers who will be branded as unqualified and unworthy of teaching -- even if they have been teaching effectively for many years -- because of this arbitrary decision.  This action will affect experienced teachers who are scheduled to change assignments, to change school districts, to move from one state to another, or to be rehired after a period of not working as a teacher."

In letters to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and to House and Senate education leaders, Weaver expressed his strong opposition to the decision to phase out the HOUSSE provision, noting that the position violates NCLB's statutory requirements, contradicts previous guidance from the department and was not subject to any public comment or review. 

"In good faith, teachers, school districts, and states have been complying with, and following closely, Department of Education guidance and policy positions on NCLB," said Weaver.  "They were surprised to learn that the department is eliminating the HOUSSE provision without public comment or due process.  That's harmful to students, damaging to academic achievement, and unfair to teachers' careers and livelihoods."

Weaver called on the Department of Education to withdraw this position and immediately notify all chief state school officers that current teachers may continue to use HOUSSE at any time in the future.  NEA also urged Congress to intervene with the department and help resolve the situation.

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 2.8 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.