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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2001

News Release

Statement by Bob Chase President of the National Education Association On the Release of MetLife Survey of the American Teacher 2001

The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher 2001, an annual barometer of how teachers, principals, and students measure their school environment, offers some encouraging insights and some important warnings.

The report confirms what NEA has long maintained: quality teaching matters. But the survey lends an uncommon voice to this topic - students themselves. Students with high-quality teachers are more likely to care about learning, enjoy their classes, like school and have high expectations for their future. There is no better testament to the importance of having a qualified teacher in every classroom than these findings.

The report also confirms what our members have been telling us: teachers overall are satisfied with their career choice and remain committed to the profession and the children whom they teach.

Yet the survey highlights a disturbing gap in expectations and experiences between the elementary and secondary school levels and between low-income and high-income schools. Secondary school teachers report feeling less connected to their schools and their students than elementary school colleagues. And teachers in heavily minority and low-income schools generally hold lower expectations for their peers and their students than teachers in high-income schools.

This report presents a troubling picture of disparities within public education, but these are not insurmountable challenges. To begin, teachers and all adults must make an investment in our nation's teenagers. By investing more in their lives - more of our time and attention, and also more in terms of education and after-school programs - we can raise expectations and truly capitalize on the energy and potential of adolescence.

Further, it is not an impossible dream that all of America's children - regardless of race, class or income level - can receive a top-notch public school education. But in too many schools, expectations of students are low, teachers are frustrated, and academic performance is poor. As educators, we must communicate to all children and our peers a powerful message of hope and possibility. And we must insist on schools that respect every child as worthy, responsible, and capable of ambitious learning.

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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.