Churches Question No Child Left Behind Act

April 10, 2007

(RNS) — The National Council of Churches sponsored a national conference March 9 in Arlington, Va., on "fixing" the No Child Left Behind education act.

Although the event included secular participants, the involvement of the nation's largest ecumenical religious organization signals a growing grass-roots concern about the 2002 law, which is scheduled for reauthorization by Congress this year.

"It's a complex issue, and we want people to get a handle on it so they can speak from their faith," said Jan Resseger of the Cleveland-based United Church of Christ, and chairwoman of the National Council of Churches' Committee on Public Education and Literacy. "We hope people will be well-prepared to speak to Congress."

The conference is a prelude to the NCC's 2007 Ecumenical Advocacy Days, a four-day lobbying event designed to strengthen the ecumenical Christian voice in domestic and international issues in Washington.

The National Council of Churches is among 105 organizations that have signed a statement demanding changes in the federal education law, including a call to decrease the testing burden on states and to ease up on sanctions against struggling schools and districts.

Not all groups known for progressive politics are critical of the law. The Education Trust, a Washington-based group that advocates for poor and minority children, continues to stand steadfastly behind President Bush's education law.

"We've absolutely got to assure meaningful accountability, and (Bush's) proposals seem to move us in the right direction," said Education Trust President Kati Haycock.

— Scott Stephens