U.S. Department of Education press secretary Susan Aspey today issued the following statement regarding the National Education Association's action regarding No Child Left Behind.

"Today's announcement is regrettable. No Child Left Behind is, at its core, about fairness and educational opportunity for all students. The preliminary results are in, and in just three short years, states across the nation are showing strong gains in student achievement. The achievement gap—decades in the making—is finally starting to narrow.

"President Bush and Congress have provided historic funding increases for education, and yet we continue to hear the same weak arguments from the NEA. Four separate studies assert the law is appropriately funded and not a mandate.

"We're not alone in our efforts. Respected, national education organizations, including the Council of the Great City Schools and the Council of Chief State School Officers, are working with us to continue this unprecedented national progress. We intend to continue moving forward in partnership with national and state education leaders, and look forward to the day when the NEA will join us in helping children who need our help the most in classrooms, instead of spending its time and members' money in courtrooms."

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