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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 28, 2000

Statement

National Education Association Hails Vice President's Call for Proven Programs in Nation's Schools

(NEA President Bob Chase issued the following statement today in response to a speech on education given by Vice President Al Gore in Dallas this afternoon.)

We endorse Vice President Gore's emphasis on programs that work and on the need for strong school leadership.

The Vice President's proposal to put resources into proven programs is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the debate about how best to help all children learn. Instead of focusing on ways to punish schools and children, Mr. Gore wants to invest where it counts: in programs that work. His proposal is vastly different from that of Governor Bush, who wants to strip program money out of schools and provide vouchers to a few students while hurting the majority. Teachers, parents, and Al Gore want the country to invest in programs that work: early childhood education, smaller class sizes, after-school programs, and measures to ensure that all children are taught by caring, competent professionals.

In addition to what Mr.Gore proposes, we would suggest that any analysis of low-performing schools should include a close look at other factors in the community that can have an impact on the school: changes in the student population, new kinds of demands on teachers, and other factors. The connection between school and community is real and undeniable. Let's find ways to have schools work in unison with communities to become good places for children to grow up and to learn.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.