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

October 1, 2007

NEA President Reg Weaver Urges Hispanic Leaders To Continue Working with Educators
To Strengthen Public Schools

Calls equal opportunity in education
"the overriding civil rights issue of our time"

WASHINGTON -- NEA President Reg Weaver today called on Hispanic leaders to continue working with educators to strengthen public schools and to ensure equal opportunity in education for every student.

"Our members -- the 3.2 million educators working in America's schools -- are proud to work with all of you because we are on the same team," said Weaver. "We all believe that every child in this nation has a basic right to a great public school -- no matter where they live, what language they speak or how much money their parents have." 

Hispanics are changing the composition of cities and states from coast to coast and influencing all segments of American life. Nowhere is that more visible than in America's public schools. There are 50 million students in the nation's public schools. One out of every five-about ten million-are children of Hispanic descent. About half of these children are still learning to speak English.

Weaver highlighted the Association's work to reduce school dropouts, a persistent problem in the Hispanic community, by recognizing U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, who helped launch NEA's 12-point dropout action plan last year. He also acknowledged other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus: Rep. Raúl Grijalva for improving middle schools; Rep. Linda Sanchez for curbing bullying in schools; and Rep. Joe Baca for fighting to help English-language learners.

"We know that most public schools do a good job, especially those in affluent areas. But we also know that many minority students -- including Hispanics -- fall behind in school because they don't get the resources that wealthier kids receive. We must restore the promise of opportunity that is the cornerstone of the American dream. And opportunity begins with education."

Weaver pointed out the flaws of the so-called No Child Left Behind law and how it is especially troublesome for English-language learners. "Five years ago, President Bush held a fancy ceremony in the Rose Garden when he signed this flawed law," Weaver said. "Since then, the administration has failed to deliver on many of the things it promised, like full funding for critical programs and extra help for students who need it."

Weaver called for strengthening ESEA during reauthorization by including smaller classes, using more than standardized test scores to assess student achievement, providing universal pre-kindergarten, increasing the number of highly qualified teachers, providing safe and modern facilities and infusing 21st century skills into public education curricula.

Weaver delivered his remarks to Hispanic elected officials, corporate executives, policy experts, community leaders and academic scholars gathered for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's annual public policy conference. Each September, the Hispanic community convenes in Washington, D.C., to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Since 1980, CHCI has capitalized on this opportunity by assembling Hispanic leaders to discuss issues of importance to the Hispanic community.

For more information on NEA's work with the Hispanic community, please visit: http://www.nea.org/mco/index.html
 
For more information on NEA's Positive Agenda to strengthen No Child Left Behind, please visit: http://www.nea.org/esea/index.html

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The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators
 and students preparing to become teachers.