With the healthcare bill debate behind him, President Obama has turned his focus towards the failed “No Child Left Behind” law that has been cited by education experts as a cause in the sharp decline in US education standards over the last few years. This advance by the president is bound to become the next hot-debate on Capitol Hill as detractors criticize the imposition of international benchmarked academic standards, linking teacher compensation to achievement, perceived reductions in state and local control over curriculum, and lack of resources to make required reforms. The new bill is expected to include the five education reform criteria that were included for qualification for the “Race to the Top” Funds. They are:
• Design and implement rigorous standards and high-quality assessments.
• Attracting and keeping great teachers and leaders in classrooms.
• Supporting data systems that inform decisions and improve instruction.
• Using innovation and effective approaches to turn-around struggling schools.
• Demonstrating and sustaining education reform.
"We don't think we should micromanage the schools from Washington," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, in briefing reporters on the plan. "We want to hold educators accountable but let them be creative."
Those who denounce NCLB have stated that the law’s guidelines put too much focus on state tests as a bottom line guide for a school district’s success. This focus on state testing caused a dramatic change in teachers’ approaches in the classroom, and the results have been poor.
Some students graduating high school from “successful” school districts that received federal funding due to their strong state testing performance, are entering college with a lack of comprehension of what they learned in school. They have become drones of memorization for tests and fail to grasp the “why” behind their lessons, leaving them floundering in college courses that lack the detailed explanation of a high school classroom.
States will be given more control when assessing how their schools will achieve the new standards of “college and career ready.”
There are currently extreme opinions on both sides of the discussion, and it can be assumed that as more details of the plan surface, that debate will intensify.
Write or call your senator or representative to let them know your feelings on the “No Child Left Behind” act, the new proposed changes and its culminating results for your kids and schools. Our government needs to know where its constituents stand so they can best assess how to reach these new education goals.
Posted By: Paul Adams
Saturday, March 27th 2010 at 2:34PM
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