Saturday, December 1, 2007

The Nov. 27 editorial "Running From 'No Child' " falsely stated that the National Education Association has "declared all out-war" on the No Child Left Behind law.

In fact, the NEA has worked hard over the past year to help Congress refine and improve the law so it will be worthy of extension. One of our priorities has been tracking the progress of individual students over time instead of comparing snapshots of different classes. This is the idea that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) supports, as the editorial noted.

Everyone who has had any experience with this law in the six years since it was enacted realizes it must be changed. Why does The Post assume that pundits and politicians know better than the millions of educators who have dealt with the law's shortcomings firsthand?

REG WEAVER

President

National Education Association

Washington