Re: Connecticut NAACP (was Re: hickok)

[Peter Campbell <campbellp@mail.montclair.edu>]

Burke: "NAACP argued in federal court that CT should enforce the  
"letter and spirit"
of NCLB. Sounds pretty unequivocal to me."

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As usual, you're dead wrong, Burke.

I called the Connecticut NAACP this afternoon and spoke for half an  
hour to one of the attorneys handling the case for the NAACP. He was  
clear, forthright, and unequivocal in one thing: the NAACP does not  
support NCLB. He discussed the way the story had been spun by the  
media and how regretful this was. He also made it clear that the  
NAACP was certainly not a supporter of the Connecticut department of  
education. At the end of the day, the NAACP wants to be part of the  
conversation regarding the future of children. To get a place at the  
table, they had to pick a side in the debate. They could not side  
with the state because they feel the state is not doing enough for  
children. He said again and again that filing the motion to intervene  
on behalf of the federal department of education was not done as a  
sign of support for the Bush administration or NCLB. At the end of  
the day, they chose to side with the feds because the feds were seen  
as the lesser of two evils. The NAACP hopes for an agreement to be  
reached that will make a real difference for children. They contend  
that neither the state of Connecticut nor the Bush administration is  
committed to the education of children, especially poor and minority  
children.

---
Peter Campbell