For Immediate Release

President Bush delivers final State of the Union address

Jan 29, 2008 3:18 PM

During his final State of the Union address, President Bush asked Congress to strengthen his No Child Left Behind Act and back a plan to use tax dollars to help low-income parents send children in struggling public schools to private or religious schools.

UFT President Randi Weingarten responded by saying:

“Sadly, it comes as no surprise that the education proposals made by President Bush in his final State of the Union address basically amount to a rehashing of failed policies that offer nothing new or beneficial for America’s public school students.

“If the No Child Left Behind Act works so well to turn around failing schools, then why is the President pushing a new voucher program that will only hurt public schools while providing no real benefit to students and their parents? The fact is No Child Left Behind has not worked to benefit stakeholders in education but has resulted instead in excessive testing of students, a broken promise on funding its mandates and more sanctions than help for the nation’s public schools. This is not the legacy of a real education president.”