For more information, contact:
                                                                                                  Denise L. Berkhalter
                                                                                  dberkhalter@alabamaschoolboards.org

AASB Applauds Congressman Jo Bonner
For Co-sponsoring NCLB Improvements Act of 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (February 6, 2007) – Congressman Jo Bonner of Mobile from Congressional District 1 will co-sponsor legislation to improve the No Child Left Behind law and help local schools better implement the law.

The changes would more accurately reflect how schools are performing by using growth models to measure student achievement and give states more flexibility in assessing students with disabilities and students not proficient in English. A bipartisan bill, H.R. 648, calls for more than 40 specific improvements to the NCLB law.

AASB’s executive leadership team met with U.S. Rep. Bonner and other members of Congress to urge them to increase federal funding for public schools, make improvements in the No Child Left Behind law, support voluntary preschool programs and help districts attract and retain excellent teachers. The school board members were in Washington, D.C., to take part in the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) annual Federal Relations Network Conference, Jan. 28-30.   

AASB’s leadership team consisted of AASB Executive Director Dr. Sandra Sims-deGraffenried, President Jim Methvin (Alabama School of Fine Arts/Homewood), President-Elect Sue Helms (Madison City), Vice President Florence Bellamy (Phenix City), Immediate Past President Tommy McDaniel of Cherokee County (Alabama School of Math and Science), Executive Committee Member Dr. Charles Elliott (Decatur), NSBA board member Robert A. Lane (Lowndes County), and Lissa Tucker, AASB director of governmental relations.

“We are delighted that Congressman Bonner once again has shown his commitment to Alabama’s schoolchildren and public schools by taking the lead to find a legislative solution to the obstacles local school boards face in implementing No Child Left Behind,” said Methvin.

Local school board leaders also called on their Congressional members to sign the Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren, a nationwide, grassroots campaign designed to encourage every member of Congress to publicly show their support for America’s schoolchildren. So far, the pledge has been signed by Alabama Congressmen Artur Davis, Mike Rogers and Robert Aderholt.  

“Local school board members must serve our public schoolchildren each day, with or without the funding promised by Congress,” said Sims-deGraffenried. “They can best demonstrate to Congress students’ needs and what flaws must be fixed in the law.”

The Alabama Association of School Boards represents all the state’s local school boards. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Montgomery, AASB provides members with a wide array of services, including boardmanship training seminars, risk management programs, legal assistance and policy research.

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