NEA Comments

December 14, 2011 | Click here to view PDF (216 KB)

Comment by
Wendy D. Puriefoy
President
Public Education Network

12/14/11
In response to the release of 'Transforming Teaching: Connecting Professional Responsibility with Student Learning', a report to the National Education Association, Wendy Puriefoy commented:

“NEA President Dennis Van Roekel and Commission on Effective Teachers and Teaching Commission Chair Madaline Fennell are to commended for the bold new vision encompassed in their report 'Transforming Teaching'.

As a network of 77 local education funds supporting 8 million poor and disadvantaged children across the U.S., Public Education Network contends there is no more important an enterprise than increasing the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning. In fact, PEN has committed to increasing by 100,000 the number of students on-track to graduate or graduating college- and career-ready in LEF communities by 2013, and we are holding ourselves accountable for meeting this goal -- a focal point for galvanizing our network.

Last week's report includes several important recommendations. One of these -- raising the bar for entry into the teaching profession -- includes an assurance that every teacher candidate have a full year of residency with a master teacher before receiving a license. We applaud this recommendation. Indeed, the Urban Teacher Residency programs pioneered by PEN members, the Boston Plan for Excellence and the Public Education Business Coalition in Denver, are now also being led by the Public Education Fund in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Philadelphia Education Fund, and New Visions for Public Schools in New York City. These programs are highly effective in preparing teachers, including preparation for some of the most challenging teaching assignments.

But last week's National Assessment of Educational Progress data release, which highlights the continuing and shameful achievement gaps between white students and students of color -- especially in our Nation's capital where the gap is the worst in the country -- underscores the fact that America has left far too many children behind. As the NEA takes bold steps forward to increase teacher preparedness, accountability, and transforming the teaching profession, we both implore and urge the NEA to address this appalling achievement gap between white students and black and Hispanic students -- and to hold themselves accountable as we have done, for making measurable strides to tackle the greatest challenge -- EQUITY.