ASCD’s Message to President-Elect Barack Obama

Statement by Gene R. Carter, Executive Director
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

November 5, 2008

In remarks delivered one year ago, Barack Obama spoke about the importance of improving education in the United States, saying, "We can make a commitment that's more than just the rhetoric of a campaign—one that's more than another empty promise made by a politician looking for your vote." ASCD looks to President-Elect Obama to keep this commitment when he takes office in January.

Undoubtedly, reauthorizing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) will be a significant priority for the Obama administration. When NCLB was signed into law in 2002, it represented a bipartisan effort to improve the achievement of all children. Unfortunately, the law has created a flawed accountability system that relies heavily on standardized tests that provide only a snapshot of student knowledge and ability in select subjects.

During his campaign, President-Elect Obama addressed the need to reform assessment under NCLB. "Don't tell us that these tests have to come at the expense of music or art or physical education," he said. "We are educating the whole child." As a candidate, he pledged to address the lack of funding allocated to fulfill the requirements of NCLB and proposed programs to recruit, prepare, retain, and reward teachers. He also said he would pass legislation to address the dropout crisis. These proposals align with ASCD's reauthorization recommendations to

• Strengthen the testing and accountability system by incorporating multiple indicators of achievement and flexibility in the application of sanctions and interventions for schools in need of improvement.
• Increase professional development opportunities and incentives for teachers and school leaders.
• Address the dropout crisis by giving schools the ability to personalize education as outlined in the GRADUATES Act: through learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, mentoring and student support programs, and flexible scheduling.

In addition, ASCD believes the new president and Congress must pass legislation, such as the Full Service Community Schools, Keeping PACE, and WE CARE acts, that lets schools provide additional services to meet the needs of students and families, encourages community involvement, and offers extended learning time outside the hours of a regular school day.

Using our expertise as educators, ASCD stands ready to support an Obama administration in creating and implementing sound education policy that recognizes academic achievement is inextricably linked to the civic engagement; motivation; and the emotional, physical, and social health of our students.