Washington, DC – Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. – met today with President George W. Bush on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Joined by a small group of business leaders and school administrators, Murguía discussed ways in which the law could be improved for Latino students and the nation’s five million English language learners (ELLs), including fair but firm accountability for ELLs and adequate funding to fulfill the promise of the law.

“NCLR is at the table and advocating for NCLB improvements because we need to make sure that all of our children, including those who are learning English, get the attention, resources, and rigorous coursework they need to graduate from high school with a diploma that prepares them for college and the workplace,” said Murguía.

NCLB holds considerable promise to close the academic achievement gap for Latino and ELL students. It challenges them to meet higher academic standards and for the first time holds schools accountable for improving the outcomes for these students.

“Making sure that ELL students remain included in this law is at the top of our agenda because nearly half of Latino children are ELLs,” continued Murguía. “If this law doesn’t work for English language learners, it doesn’t work for Latinos. And if it doesn’t work for Latinos, who are one in five of all public school students, it simply doesn’t work.”

“The President and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings have stood firm on the responsibility of our schools in the education of ELLs, and we appreciate their support,” concluded Murguía. “We look forward to working with the President – as well as with Senator Edward Kennedy and Congressman George Miller who have championed the law – to renew NCLB, fully fund it, and keep our promise to America’s schoolchildren.”

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