If you want modern schools...

NEA Today, Oct 1998 by Chase, Bob

Try old-fashioned voting on Election Day. It can do a body -and a building; world of good.

One of the most riveting images unveiled at NEA's "Modern Schools/Better Learning" news conference last January was a photo of the huge open pit in the hallway of East Park Elementary School in Leadville, Colorado.

In the photo, Leadville superintendent Peg Portscheller and several students stare in wonder at the rusted water pipe inside the chasm, covered only by a piece of plywood. Since January, the pipe has been replaced and the hole filled in. Unfortunately, the repair costs came out of the school's instructional budget. This story is a constant reminder of continuing Congressional inaction on America's school building crisis. Like modem-day Neros, a majority of members of Congress focus on empty proposals like "education savings accounts" for parents of private school students, while more than 14 million students attend schools that need major repair or replacement.

America's public schools need at least $200 billion to resolve this national crisis-more than $12 million in tiny Leadville alone. And America's citizens-75 percent of them, according to a bipartisan poll-support a federal role in school modernization. Since last winter, thousands of NEA members have written or E-mailed their senators and representatives, urging them to support the Public School Modernization Act, which would generate $22 billion in school modernization bonds. That's not nearly enough money to solve the problem, but at least it's a start. Yet, on two occasions this year, lawmakers voted for tax breaks for private school families instead of modern schools for all children. "The school where I teach is 30 years old and in dire need of repairs," writes an Orlando teacher to her U.S. senator. "How will giving a tax break to parents of children in private schools help my students?"

One NEA member from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told her senator that in her school, "the roofs leak and the rooms get full of mold and mildew. We would think it was appalling if we knew a child lived in these conditions at home, but we think nothing of having them spend six hours a day in such a setting." "I'm in a trailer because we are overcrowded," writes a teacher from his "fairly new" school in North Carolina. "Because our school was built to accommodate 950 students, and there are now 1,400, the wear and tear on our facility is being accelerated. It's like inviting another family to move into your house without adding any bathrooms or bedrooms."

Another NEA member from Marshfield, Wisconsin, after describing her school's deplorable conditions, added this ironic note: "It always amazes me that our businesses are so well-equipped, our government offices are so endowed, while our schools are struggling to come up with the basics."

Congressional inaction plagues other issues of importance to children and public education, too.

While public school critics voice concern about how our students stack up to their counterparts around the world, Congress fails to address the fact that only 27 percent of classrooms -and 14 percent of classrooms in disadvantaged schools-have access to the Internet.

Still, I'm pleased that NEA members continue to write and E-mail our elected leaders, because we know that our active involvement in politics is vital to the future of children and public education in America.

I was proud beyond words late last spring when an NEA-led coalition generated 21,000 E-mail messages to Congress to help turn back an attempt to eliminate the E-Rate.

But the E-rate program-which will provide discounted Internet access and phone service to thousands of schools and libraries-is still being threatened by Congressional critics. All of us in NEA need to be vigilant in its defense.

As we

approach the fall election, let's remember who supported children and public education, and who did not. As responsible citizens, we owe it to our students to support candidates who support their futures.

Let's elect people who share our horror at the hole in the floor at East Park Elementary, and who know that every child deserves to learn in a modem public school, with small class sizes and access to technology.

It doesn't matter if they are Republicans or Democrats, friends of children and public education deserve our support-and our votes.

Comments? You can E-mail me directly at BobChase@nea.org.