To: National Desk

Contact: Raven Padgett of the National Association of Elementary School Principals, 703-684-3345 or rpadgett@naesp.org

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) looming, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) released recommendations for policymakers to consider as they begin to make revisions to the Act. NAESP hopes that the recommendations will encourage Congress to amend ESEA -- the current version is No Child Left Behind -- to make it more consistent, flexible and fair for schools to effectively address the academic needs of all students.

"Our members continue to support the goals of No Child Left Behind because it is intended to eliminate the achievement gap and improve the quality of our educational system," said NAESP's Executive Director Vincent L. Ferrandino. "The upcoming ESEA reauthorization affords Congress an opportunity to make sensible adjustments to the law and provide the appropriate funding and flexibility that is necessary for schools to meet these goals."

NAESP's ESEA recommendations were created by a task force -- comprised of elementary and middle school principals from throughout the United States -- that was led by Rosemarie Young, NAESP's past president, and staffed by Sally McConnell, NAESP's associate executive director for government relations. The ESEA recommendations outline general principles for the reauthorization, including the belief that ESEA should reflect an understanding that educators have as their main goal the success of every student in learning the curriculum and in developing high-level skills for comprehending information and solving problems.

"The members of our task force offer the perspective of school leaders, which is often missing from discussions about ESEA," said McConnell. "They relied on research and their own rich experiences and worked diligently to provide recommendations we hope will be implemented."

NAESP is urging policymakers to make changes in the way that schools are expected to close the achievement gaps that exist among student subpopulations, ensuring that students are taught in schools staffed by well-qualified teachers and principals. NAESP is also recommending that the reauthorization restore the responsibility for student achievement to the state level and that public funds be reserved for public schools.

To read NAESP's complete ESEA reauthorization recommendations, visit http://www.naesp.org/client_files/ESEA-8-06.pdf. And to stay informed about how NAESP and school leaders are taking action on issues affecting children, visit the Federal Legislative Action Center at www.naesp.org.

------

Established in 1921, the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) serves 30,000 elementary and middle school principals in the United States, Canada and overseas.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

-0-

/© 2006 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

  Add comment

Name:
E-Mail:
Comment:
Enter code: