lae.org Instructional Advocacy

NEA Calls for Frank, Open Dialogue on “Tough Choices or Tough Times”

Weaver seeks “plausible solutions” to improve public schools

Washington —Tough Choices or Tough Times, released today by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, outlines a list of recommendations for radically revamping how children are educated and prepared to face the challenges of a global society. The report assesses the need for a complete overhaul of the American public education system and suggests that our country’s economic competitiveness is at stake and education reform is required to ensure that the United States remains a key player in the global economy.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Reg Weaver:

“Tough Choices or Tough Times is a provocative report that will hopefully encourage an open dialogue and frank discussion on how best to improve public schools. School reform is necessary to address the various challenges facing public education. Yet as we initiate reform, we must be diligent about finding plausible solutions that will serve the best interests of our children and society.

“NEA has long championed the concept of high school reform, and we agree that we need to provide students with the tools and resources they will need to succeed in a global society. We are pleased that fully funding pre-K is among the list of suggestions from the commission. Research has proven that quality early education programs build a strong foundation for school success and lead to better academic achievement results in the long run. We also stand in agreement that our students need to be equipped with 21st century skills that allow them to master new and emerging technologies, develop critical thinking skills and increase their global knowledge.

“Tough Choices or Tough Times has shed light on some very real issues. However, we urge caution in calling for drastic changes that could potentially disenfranchise poorer communities and eliminate community voices in the reform conversation. We also question changes that do not offer reasonable alternatives. Teacher pay should be increased. But our teachers and education support professionals need better pay now, not in 2021. Likewise, it is shortsighted to call for salary programs that increase teacher pay but deplete retirement benefits. Our nation’s teachers deserve to be well compensated now, and they deserve the safety and security of retirement plans that will not leave them destitute in their later years.

“On the issue of school funding, NEA believes that removing local funding does little to stabilize the education system and removes the power of communities to define education programs that fit their unique needs. A one-size-fits-all approach to school funding only works when all schools and communities are equal and socio-economically balanced. There is no evidence to show that states or even private contractors are any better than local school boards in defining a community’s educational needs. A weighted school funding formula like the one touted in this report does little to assist struggling schools and punishes those students who need the most help.

“In the end, we all must get down to the work of reforming our public schools, one step at a time. We know the source of the problem: too few resources, not enough textbooks, outdated technology, and a lack of qualified and certified teachers. Our public policy debate today should focus on improving the teaching and learning conditions in the schools that 90 percent of American children attend and then focusing on a long-term plan that makes underperforming public schools obsolete.”

###