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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2001

News Release

Statement of Bob Chase, President of the National Education Association On the Consideration of Resolution New B

This week, delegates to the 2001 National Education Association's Representative Assembly in Los Angeles, California, will consider a resolution dealing with what schools should do to reduce and eliminate intolerance and insensitivity towards gays and lesbians in our society.

Members of the NEA are proud of our legacy of promoting a society that celebrates its diversity. Public schools' ability to create an environment where different kinds of people can live and work together helps prepare children for the world they will encounter when they leave school.

NEA members firmly believe that America's public schools should be secular, but not values-free. Parents and the general public agree that schools should teach and model values like respect, responsibility, honesty, and hard work. At the same time, we believe that children should get their moral guidance from their parents, communities of faith, religious leaders, and religious texts.

Some critics want the public schools to be an agent of moral doctrine, condemning children and adults when they are not in accord with Biblical precepts. We believe it is impossible to create a safe haven for children - physically safe and emotionally secure - while condemning their beliefs.

The debate here at the Los Angeles Convention Center is a microcosm of the discussion that exists in schools and communities across the nation. NEA's existing policies reflect our belief that discussions about curriculum and standards should involve teachers, parents, and others in the community - and they should be established at the local level.

Most Americans believe that sex education in the public schools should be age appropriate, should be factual as opposed to judgmental, and should help instill values like responsibility and respect. We cannot turn our back on the needs of children or close our eyes to realities they face. We hope that all Americans will join in creating a nurturing environment for children at school, at home, and in the community. Our policies are all designed to advance that goal.

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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.