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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2001

News Release

Senate Should Give Vouchers Ritual Rejection

Parents, Teachers and Taxpayers Advise--"Just Say No"

Washington, D.C. - National Education Association President Bob Chase urged the U.S. Senate to give vouchers the ritual rejection that the U.S. House of Representatives and American voters have repeatedly given them. "The opportunity to authorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) occurs once every six to seven years. We simply must get it right by passing a voucher-free bill," said Chase.

Chase warned that proposed voucher measures in the Senate represent an unnecessary and dangerous diversion to school improvement. "Vouchers in any form have not passed the ultimate test of education reform -- improving student achievement. We urge Senators to continue to reject vouchers, just as the U.S. House of Representatives and American voters continue to reject them," said Chase.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is the largest legislative vehicle for marshalling much-needed help to America's public schools. Chase said taxpayer money and Congressional time would be wisely invested in proven programs that make an immediate difference in student and school improvement. "We urge Congress to seize this opportunity and provide America's schools with the resources required to produce results," said Chase.

Both the House and Senate ESEA bills contain significant testing and accountability measures that threaten to punish schools whose students score poorly on tests. "As educators we believe that unless we give students and teachers the tools to succeed -- it is thoroughly, morally wrong to threaten them with failure," said Chase.

"Setting high standards and implementing a regime of testing and consequences is easy," said Chase. "The hard part - the part that we have seriously neglected -- is giving every child the good schools and quality teachers and individual assistance he or she needs to have a fighting chance to succeed."

Although the tax cut consumed a massive piece of the budget pie, Chase said he hoped Congress would be able to find a way to make needed investments to reduce class size and repair crumbling schools. Chase pointed to the successful class size reduction program in Milwaukee public schools as a definitive answer to vouchers. Students in the program consistently outperform those in voucher schools. The program is so successful that it is being expanded.

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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 personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.