With negotiations to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act shifting into high gear, NYSUT political activists headed to Washington, D.C., to let congressional representatives hear directly from those in the classroom.

"Unless you speak up, they'll think we're happy with the changes that are being proposed," said Pittsford TA's Dan Sanfratello, a NYSUT political action committee coordinator.

"We told them to slow down and get input from the people who have been living with the mistakes of NCLB for the last five years," said Dianne Hettrich of Sachem, a member of the NYSUT Board of Directors. "Efforts to push this legislation through Congress could simply yield continued and/or additional federal mandates that are not funded."

Sanfratello, Hettrich and Cheryl Goodridge of Hempstead TA were part of a lobby day launched by one of NYSUT's national affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers, on Sept. 20. NYSUT members Selina Durio and Nancy Close, both of Long Island, took part in a similar event a week prior, which was organized by the National Education Association, also a NYSUT national affiliate.

Close followed up with an opinion piece published in Newsday that poignantly described how the NCLB's proposed changes continue the law's unwise focus on high-stakes testing, punishments and labeling of schools.

The citizen-lobbyists made it clear the top priority is to change how schools are identified to be in need of improvement under No Child Left Behind. "Student test scores should not be the sole criterion," Hettrich said "We need multiple measures."

Sanfratello also voiced concern over how the reauthorized law will get highly qualified teachers in hard-to-staff schools. "There are better ways to attract new teachers, rather than forcing transfers," Sanfratello said. "Carrots work better than sticks."

Hettrich said U.S. Reps Tim Bishop and Carolyn McCarthy, two Long Island Democrats who serve on the important Education Committee, were both extremely receptive and eager to get teacher input. "They expect the congressional committee review to continue into late October, not late September as House leaders first indicated," Hettrich said. "There's still time left and time for input."

Hettrich noted Bishop has been actively seeking educators' views, hosting a well-attended "town hall" meeting in August.

NYSUT has posted a free online fax service to urge members of Congress to slow the reauthorization process down and make meaningful changes. Visit www.nysut.org and click on the Legislative Action page.

- Sylvia Saunders