NWPE & AAE HARD AT WORK 
FOR EDUCATORS' PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS

Northwest Professional Educators (NWPE) and the Association of American Educators (AAE) are hard at work serving your professional interests regarding the requirements of "No Child Left Behind".

In his March 31, 2004, letter to the Commissioners of Education and State Superintendents (http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/040331.html), US Department of Education Secretary Rod Paige repeatedly mentions the Teacher Assistance Corps (TAC). 

According to Secretary Paige, "TAC was an effort to support States in the implementation of the highly qualified teacher provisions established by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The Corps, made up of your peers, leaders in the field of teacher quality, and key Department staff, visited nearly every State in the nation and the District of Columbia. The initiative was extremely successful in hearing and sharing what is working in various States toward improving teacher quality, dispelling misunderstandings about the law, and, most importantly, informing the Department about the practical challenges facing States in meeting the NCLB highly qualified teacher goals." 

NWPE-AAE members had direct representation in many of these TAC meetings AND indirectly provided training to all TAC team members.  NWPE-AAE representatives not only went on numerous state visits, but they also helped to lay the groundwork for encouraging states and school districts to use ALL of the available freedom under the law. 

Tracey Bailey, AAE National Projects Director who served on many TAC teams, stated that "All of this was designed to help keep professional standards high, but also to make complying with the Highly Qualified Teacher provisions of NCLB less burdensome and less disruptive for current teachers who already met the basic criteria.

"Many states and school districts were initially not clear about the flexibility that they had under the law to design a 'Highly Objective, Uniform State Standard of Evaluation' which could give appropriate credit for years of successful teaching experience already served in the classroom, and for past courses, and for professional development in the subject area.  This is just one policy example, but it is an important one.  And the TAC teams usually pointed a dozen or so similar opportunities in each state that we visited."

NWPE and AAE will continue to advocate for high standards of professionalism and educational achievement for America's students.  We appreciate your professionalism and all that you do for your students!