Reg Weaver, who is in his second term as president of the 3.2 million-member NEA, delivered the keynote address at the inaugural symposium of the Oklahoma Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence.

"In a nation as wealthy as ours, there is no reason why we cannot afford to give every child a quality education," Weaver told the 40 to 50 people in attendance at the symposium, held at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. "We don't mind being held accountable, but give us the resources."

The Oklahoma Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence was established with federal funding through the No Child Left Behind Act as a collaborative effort between Langston University, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and Northeastern State University. The primary goal of the center is to improve subject mastery and classroom effectiveness among teachers in Tulsa Public Schools.

Weaver served as a middle school science teacher for 30 years. He rose up through the ranks of the NEA after first serving as president of the local NEA affiliate in Harvey, Ill., and then becoming president of the NEA statewide affiliate in Illinois.

He said he has observed several common elements in low-performing schools in his travels across the U.S.

"There are teachers

Low-performing schools also tend to have a disproportionate number of students, especially black students, who are suspended or expelled from school, which can lead to higher dropout rates, he said.

He called on higher standards for teacher certification, noting, "There's a group out there that thinks all you need to be a teacher is a bachelor's degree, a background check and to pass a computerized test, but you know they're not going to send them to teach where the wealthy folks are.

"They're going to send them to teach where Ray-Ray, Little Willie, Little Man, Too-sweet, and Chiquita are in the classroom."

He defended the role of the teachers' union in politics by saying from the school board, to the state legislature, to Congress, and even the president of the United States, "every decision that is made for us is political.

"For us not to be involved in the political process is wrong."

Andrea Eger 581-8470
andrea.eger@tulsaworld.com