For More Information:
NEA Communications: 202 822-7200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2002

SPEECH

Keynote Remarks by Bob Chase, President, National Education Association to the 2002 NEA Representative Assembly

Dallas, Texas

Good afternoon! Welcome to Dallas.

Right away, I want to share with you a startling discovery. I was having trouble sleeping last night. And I was out of Tylenol PM. So I reached for the next best thing: my copy of the NEA Constitution and Bylaws. Sure enough, in a few short minutes, my eyes started to glaze over...but then I made my discovery: There it was under Section 4-1, "Powers and Duties of the NEA President." Why hadn't I seen this before? Paragraph Z: "The President, at the end of his or her term of office, has the unlimited power of pardon!" The bylaw continues: "This power must be exercised before 1:30 p.m. on the first day of the Representative Assembly."

Well, I'm not sure if I was dreaming. But just in case...time is short, so let me get right to work.

My first pardon goes to NEA Vice President Reg Weaver. Reg, people love your bear hugs and handshakes. You make people feel appreciated - and you make their day. But Reg, here's the problem: Some folks are feeling left out! There are 2.7 million members of the NEA, and there are still several hundred thousand members that you have not hugged, praised, and given the full Reg treatment. They haven't been Reg-ified! This is unacceptable, Reg, but it is pardonable.

My second free pass goes to NEA Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Van Roekel. Dennis, I pardon you for always being so bubbly and good-humored, and full of wisecracks. I mean, people who are in charge of budgets and accounting are supposed to be serious and grim. On the other hand, Dennis Van Roekel beats the heck out of Arthur Andersen. He's honest. And the only thing Dennis has shredded is other people's pessimism and gloom. Dennis, you're pardoned!

One of our state-affiliate presidents has also earned a pardon: Judy Schaubach of Education Minnesota. Some time back, Judy and then-co-president, Sandra Peterson, paid a visit to their governor, none other than Jesse Ventura, also known as "The Body." Jesse was taken aback when these two strong women stood up to him, and defended teachers, support professionals, and public education. After the meeting, the governor told the press (and I quote), "I've never seen two more arrogant people." For some folks, it seems, standing up for our members is considered "arrogant." Judy and Sandra, you are pardoned. And please stop bullying Jesse Ventura!

Next, I need to issue a very broad pardon to public educators all across America. In state after state, politicians are telling us...dictating to us...what we must teach, how often we must test, and, in general, how we can "fix" our classrooms. Never mind that most of these folks have no expertise whatsoever in teaching and learning. And now these folks are shocked that, in each of your states, you are standing up to them and demanding a major role in these decisions. Can you imagine? I mean, the nerve of teachers demanding a voice in issues involving their own classrooms! So I say to teachers and support professionals all across America: You are pardoned. And, please, keep up the great work!

And one last pardon...a preemptive pardon to the nearly 9,000 delegates here in this hall. I pardon you for all the bad T-shirts and silly hats...for all your embarrassing, juvenile behavior during roll-call votes...and, generally speaking, for wandering in the hall without a pass. You are pardoned!

Now settle down, put away your GameBoys, and pay attention to the rest of my speech.

My friends, it was six years ago, almost to the day, that you elected me to lead our great Association into the new millennium. Yes, being president of America's largest union is a demanding job, and in many ways an important job. But for 25 years, I had a job that was more demanding and more important. I was a teacher.

Let me take this occasion, however, to announce that in March, I got a new job - the most important job yet. I didn't solicit it, but I couldn't say no. My new job? On March 18, 2002, I became a grandfather...the absurdly happy granddad of Zoe Simone Kilgore.

Now, I look around this hall, and - this will come as a shock - not all of us are spring chickens any more. In fact, it is just possible that there might be one or two other grandparents among the delegates. Will all the grandmoms and granddads please stand?

I thought there might be one or two! You know how my life was transformed on March 18 - as it was with the birth of my own two daughters. You know the sense of awe, the feelings of unconditional love. As a teacher, there were so many children I cared about deeply. In my new job, just one child means the whole world to me.

But, of course, as much as I love my new granddaughter, I also think of all the other Zoes who came into the world this spring -- only their names are more likely to be Jose or Juanita, Jamal or Tekisha, Ahmed or Wei-zhong.

As educators, they are all our children. Every one is precious and worthy to us. Every one deserves the best. But, as we know, not every one will get the best.

Most will go to excellent public schools that strengthen their minds and nurture their souls. But others will be raised in poor urban and rural environments that can be toxic to children's spirits.

My friends, as educators and as an Association, we believe powerfully that children come first. Children come first. So I want to talk, today, about our responsibility to the children in low-performing schools. I want to talk about responsibility, accountability - and about the right solutions.

On that score, it is fitting that we have gathered in the great city of Dallas. Because Dallas is a microcosm of the realities we see all across America.

In suburban school districts outside of Dallas - places like Carroll, Highland Park, and Argyle -- you will find extraordinary public schools. Facilities are state of the art. Virtually every teacher is fully certified, and many hold master's degrees and Ph.D.s. Students achieve at high levels, and 90 percent or more go on to some form of higher education.

But here, downtown, the Dallas Independent School District offers a stark contrast. By all means, there are thousands of dedicated, talented teachers and support staff in this city's schools. But they work in harsh conditions: Many schools are overcrowded and rundown. The school system currently uses nearly 2,000 portable classrooms. Some schools have 40 or more portables; they look more like trailer parks than schools. Because of low pay, the teacher shortage is dire: 45 percent of new teachers in Dallas are not certified in their subjects.

And what is the result of all of this neglect? Dallas is one of 16 cities nationwide where at least half the high schools have extremely high dropout rates -- 50 percent or worse.

My friends, these cities are another kind of Ground Zero, with their own innocent victims, their own heroes, their own very uncertain future.

And this is America's challenge. More specifically, as educators, it is our challenge. We didn't create the dire conditions in inner-city and rural schools. But we have a professional responsibility to the children in these schools. The children come first.

I will address our solutions shortly. But let me make this point: We also have a professional responsibility to oppose policies that will hurt, not heal, these troubled schools.

Just days ago, the Supreme Court - by the usual, dubious 5 to 4 majority -- ruled that vouchers do not violate the separation of church and state. The Court has spoken. And now we must speak.

Because the Court can say that vouchers are constitutional - just as the Court for 60 years said that segregated schools were constitutional - but that does not make it right. And it certainly does not make it wise public policy.

Voucher advocates try to seduce poor parents with a shimmering promise: vouchers will allow you to take your children out of a struggling inner-city school and enroll them in the high-performing private or religious school of your choice - all free of charge. But if this sounds too good to be true...well, you can finish the sentence.

The truth is that in Florida - the first state with a statewide voucher system - 93 percent of private and parochial schools refused to accept any voucher students.

The truth is that high-quality private schools have selective admissions policies and waiting lists a mile long.

The truth is that for-profit schools that sprout up to chase voucher money have an appalling track record of incompetence, corruption, and outright abuse.

So the claim that vouchers offer "choice" is just laughable.

But there is a bigger falsehood at work here. Bear in mind, the voucher movement is driven not by teachers and other educators. It is driven by ideologues. And as history teaches us, behind so many big ideologies there is a big lie.

The big lie of the voucher crowd - we've all heard it - is that (quote) "public education has failed."

My friends, voucher advocates have a right to their own opinions, but they do not have a right to their own facts.

The fact is that the vast majority of public schools in America range in quality from good to outstanding. Indeed, a Money magazine study concluded (and I quote) "about 10 percent of all public schools - about 2,000 nationwide - are as outstanding academically as the nation's most prestigious and selective private schools."

The fact is that 85 percent of the most affluent parents in America - I'm talking about the top-earning one-fifth -- send their children to public schools. Why? Because their suburban public schools have great teachers and challenging curricula. In this competitive marketplace of public and private schools, public schools win hands down.

The fact is that public schools are the foundation of American democracy. And we educate 9 out of 10 workers in the most productive, dynamic economy in history.

My friends, these are our schools. And they are a resounding success.

So let us be clear. Children come first. We stand for quality public education for all children, not privileged education for the few. For us, this is a core value - a value that everyone in this hall will defend.

We stand in principled opposition to vouchers. And to the voucher ideologues, we make this promise: We will expose your false promises. We will lay bare your lies. And - as we have done in California, Michigan, and everywhere else that vouchers have been on the ballot - we will defeat you!

At the same time, we make another promise: We have no higher priority at NEA than the work of lifting up low-performing schools. We are engaged as problem-solvers, as partners, and as leaders.

Already, our affiliates have done important work in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, and many other states. I'm especially proud of the work of our members here in Texas in the Edgewood Independent School District.

Edgewood was a tremendous challenge. The district's population is 95 percent Hispanic, with a per capita income of barely $5,000. Nine of its 26 schools were labeled "low performing" by the Texas Education Agency. The Edgewood Classroom Teachers Association, with help from NEA and the Texas State Teachers Association, forged a strong collaboration with the school district and with the community. Together, we charted an ambitious course that has been sustained - sustained across four years and four different school superintendents. Today, there are no "low performing" schools in Edgewood. The dropout rate has fallen to less than three percent. And better than 80 percent of Edgewood students are passing the statewide tests.

You know, over the last year, I have traveled to Milwaukee, Oakland, Omaha, Atlanta, and so many other cities. As I promised in my RA speech last year, in each of these cities I have made it my business to visit struggling schools...to talk with teachers and support staff, with students and parents...to get a feel for the dynamics of these schools. I take away several lessons:

Lesson number one: In these schools, we are dealing with the most compelling challenge in American education: how to educate children of poverty, children of extreme disadvantage. Folks who tell you there is an easy answer or a quick fix just don't know what they are talking about.

And I take away another lesson from my school visits: the salvation of these schools does not lie in any particular education model or program. It lies in people...dedicated teachers, support staff and administrators...people who are resilient in the face of setbacks, who refuse to give up. Let me tell you: I am just in awe of these people.

And yet, something has bothered me to no end: These wonderful educators are in a constant struggle to keep up their morale. They are being blamed. They are being stigmatized.

I spoke with one smart, totally professional teacher in Atlanta. She told me that her school was "on the wall." I asked, "What do you mean?" And she responded: "We're on the wall of shame. That's what we say about schools like mine that have been labeled 'low performing' by the state."

She explained further: "Ninety percent of our students are immigrants or live in poverty. But because of the way our school is labeled, all the teachers feel like we have a scarlet F sewn on our collar."

My friends, you know and I know that this is wrong. The children in these schools are working hard to overcome huge obstacles. And the professionals in these schools are just very special people.

In fact, they remind me of the heroes of September 11. The firefighters were running in to the burning towers to save lives. And so it is with our colleagues here in Dallas and in so many other cities. Other folks have abandoned these schools. But every morning - every morning -- courageous men and women choose to go into those schools on a rescue mission. These professionals are some kind of heroes. And they deserve our utmost respect.

Not surprisingly, that word "abandonment" comes up again and again when we talk about struggling urban and rural schools. And there is one form of abandonment that our Association must confront head on. It is the abandonment practiced by the many politicians who say "leave no child behind," yet who advocate policies that - let's be honest - are leaving children behind by the millions.

I talked earlier about all the terrific public schools in affluent communities. World-class public schools. We know what it takes to create outstanding public schools, beginning with modern facilities, excellent teachers, and smaller class sizes.

When politicians deny these quality ingredients to schools attended by poor, minority, and immigrant children, then they are abandoning those children....they are making a choice to leave those children behind.

Exhibit A is the new federal education law passed by Congress late last year. There are many good things about this law - and some not-so-good things that, I believe, we can change.

Certainly, we agree passionately with the intent of the law: to close the achievement gap and leave no child behind. We support high standards and strong accountability, including the appropriate - I said appropriate -- use of tests. We cheered when Congress wrote into the law the promise that, in four years time, every teacher in every classroom will be fully certified and "highly qualified." For us, this would be a professional dream come true.

In other words, this law raised our hopes. But more recent events have raised our doubts, especially when it comes to resources.

The law originally called for major new funding. But - surprise! -- now the Powers That Be in Washington are saying, "Sorry if we misled you, but there is no money available."

Now let me see if I get this right: Over the last year, the President and Congress have come up with trillions - trillions! -- for tax cuts, overwhelmingly for the rich...hundreds of billions in new money for the Pentagon...tens of billions for the airlines and corporate bailouts...and - most recently - a whopping $180 billion for farmers. And they dare to tell us: sorry, there is no new money left for public education and struggling schools.

Education, it seems, is one of those faith-based programs. Which means lots of photo ops with schoolchildren. Lot's of compassionate rhetoric. But when it comes to new federal funding, public schools haven't got a prayer!

Let me get very, very specific: As I said, the new law promises - no, it requires - that by the spring of 2006...less than four years from now...every teacher in every public school classroom in America will be fully certified and "highly qualified." This is an extraordinary goal. It is perhaps the single most important school reform I can imagine.

Think about it. There are now some 200,000 non-certified teachers in our public schools. And they are overwhelmingly concentrated in urban districts such as Dallas and Los Angeles. A "highly qualified" teacher in every classroom would be a giant step toward transforming these schools.

But finding 200,000 "highly qualified" teachers for these schools is going to be a monumental challenge - and hugely expensive. But the President and Congress have no serious game plan and no new funding to make this happen. In fact, the President's budget proposal actually cuts funding for teacher quality. The Department of Education's deputy secretary explained these cuts. He said that it is time to "take a little bit of a pause."

We disagree. Speaking from Dallas -- with horrific dropout rates and so many unqualified teachers -- we say it is time for urgency. And we have a simple question for our political leaders: What part of "leave no child behind" don't you understand?

My friends, politicians talk boldly about holding teachers accountable. That's fine. But we have a professional responsibility to hold the politicians accountable. We need to speak the truth:

The truth is that it is morally wrong to promise a qualified, certified teacher in every classroom, and then cut the budget for teacher quality programs.

The truth is that it is morally wrong to say to teachers in high-poverty schools: "You are to blame. You are doing a bad job. We're going to reduce funding for your school. We're are going to use vouchers to cripple your schools."

The truth is that it is morally wrong to threaten children of poverty with high-stakes tests...to bar them from graduation...if you are going to deny them high-quality teachers and schools.

Now, don't get me started about tests! Our political leaders love to talk about testing. They have come up with a popular, get-tough message -- full of what I call "test tosterone."

Let no one misunderstand us on the topic of testing. As educators, we respect tests as an important tool of our trade. By all means, standardized tests should be one component - one component -- of a strong system of standards and accountability.

But here's the danger: In many states, what began as a legitimate use of testing has spun out of control. First testing became a preoccupation. Then it became an obsession. And now it has exploded into a full-fledged testing mania.

In Massachusetts, the state-mandated tests are longer than the bar exam. In schools across America, increasingly, if it's not on the test, it's not in the curriculum.

Here in Texas, the tests emphasize math and reading at the elementary level, so science is disappearing. One teacher said that a principal came into her classroom and rebuked her. He said: "This looks like science! You're supposed to be teaching math!"

In a growing number of schools, recess has been eliminated. A new elementary school in Atlanta was actually built without a playground. Heaven forbid that first-graders would jump rope or play tag when they could be prepping for the next test!

And never mind that children are stressed out and literally worried sick. The new Stanford 9 test solves that problem for us. It comes with instructions on what to do with a test booklet when a student throws up on it.

Please do not label me "anti-test," because I'm not. I have been a strong, long-time advocate of standards-based reform. I believe that students and teachers should be held accountable -- and tests are one important means of accountability. But we cannot be silent about the kinds of abuses I have just mentioned.

In too many states, the tests are swallowing our schools. They are distorting the curriculum. They are destroying our autonomy and creativity as teachers. And they are hurting children.

My fellow educators, it is time for us to take back our classrooms!

It is time to give children back recess, music and the arts, field trips and all the other things that have been sacrificed on the altar of the almighty test.

Our union must stand up and say "enough!" Tests have their place, yes - and tests must be kept in their place!

We are not powerless in the face of these challenges. To the contrary, we are powerful. We are 2.7 million strong - nearly one in every 100 Americans. And we have powerful friends. Governors - Republicans and Democrats - share our concern that this new education law is the mother of all unfunded mandates.

They, too, are asking: "Where is the funding?"

They, too are asking: "Mr. President and Congress, why are you promising a quality teacher in every classroom at the same time you are cutting funding for teacher quality?"

And they agree with us: This new law will be a failure if the "Leave No Child Behind Act" becomes, in reality, nothing more than the "Leave No Child Untested Act."

My friends, we must rise to this challenge. And we are. Already, our members have testified in regional hearings. We are mobilizing in state capitals to shape the way this law is implemented. If we are going to be held accountable, then we must be at the table when the details of this new law are hammered out. This is just fundamental.

So I repeat: The new federal education law has set forth worthy goals - in some cases, extraordinary goals. Now we must hold the politicians accountable. We must demand that they keep their promises.

My friends, advocacy for quality public schools is at the heart of our New Unionism. New Unionism is about taking charge of our profession. It is about embracing our share of responsibility for school quality. It is about - wherever possible - teaming up with administrators, school boards, parents, and politicians to revitalize our public schools.

But let me be clear: Our New Unionism is in no way a repudiation of the old. Those of us who cut our teeth on traditional unionism are proud of what we accomplished. We gave a voice to school employees. We won dignity and standing for our members. We built NEA into the strongest, most successful, most influential union in the United States.

What's more, traditional unionism lives - and must live - within our Association. Because the struggle for economic justice is not won. In so many school districts - especially when it comes to salaries -- there are still rallies to organize, picket lines to walk, and hard bargaining to do.

We reject the false dichotomy that says: "old unionism" was about justice, and New Unionism is about quality. We reject it because we must be about both.

I mean, isn't it obvious that the two are braided together: justice and quality. All across America, where educators are paid as professionals and treated with respect, that is where you find high-performing schools and strong student achievement.

Six years ago, our Association recognized the need for change. We knew we could not meet big challenges with small ideas. So we offered a big idea: New Unionism...matching our traditional agenda with an assertive commitment to quality and professionalism.

We are building this new NEA on a simple but powerful premise: Children come first. America's public schools do not exist for teachers and other employees. Public schools do not exist for politicians - so they pose as compassionate and climb the political ladder. And public schools do not exist for corporations to make a quick profit. No. Public schools exist for the children...to give students the very best, beginning with a quality teacher in every classroom as well as quality support professionals.

This is what teachers in New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and so many other states are fighting for in a very bold way. This is the new agenda of NEA affiliates all across the country. Together, we are building a New Unionism of quality....a New Unionism of professionalism....a New Unionism of deeds.

And this is exactly the right course for our great Association. We must not go back to any narrow focus. The new NEA is about justice and quality. We must not go back!

Now, before I close, I want to tell you one more thing about my new granddaughter. For the first six weeks of her life, Zoe was scarcely out of the eyesight of her mom, Heather. But finally the day came when Heather and Wes were going away overnight without the baby. Zoe, for the first time, was going to spend the night in the care of my other daughter Jenny and her husband Ian.

You would say that this sounds like no big deal. And you would be wrong! Again and again during the day, Heather called me. She wanted reassurance: "Dad, are you sure that Zoe will be alright with Jenny and Ian? Are you sure?" I said, "Of course. She'll be fine." And, yes, everything did go just fine.

But, Heather, I've got news for you. In the blink of an eye, our precious Zoe will be going off to school. And you need not worry about that, either. Because Zoe will be in the best of hands. She will be entrusted to the men and women you see here in this room: inspired teachers and caring support professionals.

My friends, whenever I visit your schools and see you at work, I find myself asking: What underlies our profession? The answer is simple. The answer is love...very much like the love that a parent or grandparent feels for a child. Unselfish love. A love that asks: What can I do for this child, for this teenager, for this student to enrich his or her life, expecting nothing in return?

Recently, I was told about a teacher in North Carolina who had a classic encounter with a lawyer at a dinner party. The lawyer, you will be amazed to learn, was being obnoxious. He said to the guests: "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided her best option in life was just to become a teacher?" And then he said: "You're a teacher, Judy. Be honest. What do you make?"

And so Judy answered him: "You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder. I make kids question. I make them work harder than they every thought they could. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read and read and read. I make them show all their work in math, and hide it on their final drafts in English. What do I make? In a word, I make a difference! What about you?"

Thank you, Judy.

My friends, over the years we have talked a lot. But there are some things about my upbringing that I have rarely mentioned. I want to talk about them now, so you will understand how grateful I am for the opportunities that you have given to me.

When I was growing up, my family - like many of yours -- was poor. My mom dropped out of school after eighth grade. She worked in a candle factory, and then a curtain factory, and other difficult jobs. Dad was a laborer, and unfortunately, an alcoholic - and, as you know, this creates its own problems. They gave me all they could. I loved them, and I am thankful to them.

But what really made a difference in my life was public education. The opportunities and experiences I have had in my life would never have happened without the gifts that my public school teachers gave me: the gift of learning, the gift of self worth, the gift of realizing that I could do good and important things.

So what an honor it has been for me during my career - as a teacher and leader in NEA - to give back to the institution that made it possible for me to live this life.

You know, in this job I have met with presidents, prime ministers, corporate leaders, and all kinds of celebrities. But the greatest honor and the greatest joy has been visiting thousands of your schools and classrooms and work sites, and witnessing the work of everyday heroes. You. Not the presidents. Not the prime ministers. Not the corporate leaders. You are my heroes.

Some time back, a friend lamented to me, only half jokingly. He said, "Bob, I once wanted to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with some dignity." Thanks to you, my friends, I have been much more fortunate. For the last six years, you have given me a bully pulpit to advocate for important changes in our profession, in our Association, and in our schools. This opportunity has been a gift - a gift - for which I am enormously grateful.

So finally, let me leave you with the most important words I will say during this entire Representative Assembly. My dear friends, as public educators, you are doing important work, noble work - the most important work I know. You do it with an excellence and dedication that never cease to amaze me.

And when somebody asks you what you make, answer truthfully. Say to them, "I make a difference. I make a difference for children. I make a difference for my country. I make a difference for the world."

From deep in my heart, I thank you.

# # #
The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.6 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.