Kerry recommended by MTA for his exellent record on Education

The Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Board of Directors has announced that they recommend John Kerry for the Democratic Nominee based on his support of Education. It was a unanimous vote in favor of the recommendation.


"'John Kerry’s leadership on issues of importance to public education earned him the MTA’s recommendation,' said MTA President Catherine A. Boudreau. 'Whether it is championing initiatives to reduce class sizes, expanding access to higher education, supporting professional development for educators, advocating for increased federal funding of public education at the primary, secondary and higher education levels, or his consistent opposition to vouchers, John Kerry has made promoting quality public education a key plank in his platform for the presidency.'"

"The Massachusetts Teachers Association, which was founded in 1845, represents 97,000 elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals and retired educators throughout Massachusetts."

http://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/pr_2003_0820.html

Take a look there, it outlines Kerry's accomplishments in regards to Education. It's just another example of John Kerry fighting for what's best for America.

Peepers

Supported full funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as the No Child Left Behind law.

This act is crap it is destroying our schools I find it humorous that he touts this as a good vote.

isn't working too well is because it's way under-funded. It's not the best idea to begin with, but it'd help, and that's what really counts. A President Kerry will come up with some better ways to support Education though, of that you can rest assured.

Peepers

NCLB isn't failing because it's not funded. Funding only pays for the asinine testing that is mandatory under that law. The testing isn't saving our children, it is taking away valuable learning time in the classroom. Teachers are forced to 'teach to the test' rather than teach the curriculum in depth. Also, 3 entire schools days are wasted while the students take this test. That may not seem like much, but when you are under the gun to get so much material in during the school year, 3 days is much lost. I am a teacher, and don't know of ONE SINGLE TEACHER who thinks this law has helped students or teachers succeed. In fact, I've never met an administrator who likes the law, either. The entire law needs to go.

Teachers were "teaching to the test" anyway. End of Grades, SAT's, whatever. It's one of the big problems I have with our schools; the emphasis is on test scores, not on learning. A county school board near here just got called on offering cash incentives to students who did well on the SAT's. The goal of NCLB is a good one; to get schools up to 100% proficiency over time. The way it's carried out isn't, and Kerry has a lot of ideas pertaining to fixing that.

Peepers

for the word from the trenches!

what it is that you hate about the NCLB thing? Other than it is underfunded, which everyone hates?

That's good news for John. It would have been a shocker if he didn't get the Massachusetts teachers' union endorsement.