NEA President to Congress: ‘Economic recovery starts in the classroom’

WASHINGTON–NEA President Dennis Van Roekel will testify before the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions about the American public education system and its role in rebuilding the U.S. economy. 

A 23-year veteran math teacher from Paradise Valley, Ariz., Van Roekel heads the National Education Association, which represents 3.2 million educators.  Van Roekel will discuss NEA’s views on revitalizing the public education system, redesigning schools and revamping accountability systems for 21st century learning, and ensuring sustainability of public education.

Van Roekel’s testimony will lay out the inextricable link between investment in education and a strong, competitive nation and will discuss how we must approach the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) from an economic development framework.

WHO:       

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel

WHAT:      

Testimony from the head of the nation’s largest labor union before the Senate Committee on Health Education Labor and Pensions about the K-12 education system and its role in rebuilding the U.S. economy

WHEN:      

2 p.m. EST

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

WHERE:     

Room 430

Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC  20510

ESEA, more commonly known as the No Child Left Behind Act, is up for reauthorization by Congress. NEA has developed guidelines for changing the law so it helps schools improve education and close achievement gaps.

For more information about NEA’s position on ESEA, visit http://www.nea.org/esea.