Comments on: Why No Child Left Behind Should Be Left Behind

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:40:17 +0000

Karen,
Your analysis of NCLB is both erroneous and oversimplified. Although it was faulty in many aspects and does need reform, NCLB actually brought the spotlight on the achievement gap between white students and their minority counterparts. It also illustrated the huge disparity between wealthy and poor school districts and how their students fare. I am against testing for testing sake, but if you think the Obama plan is going to eliminate testing, you’re absolutely incorrect. In fact, the movement to follow a growth model would probably require more frequent testing; the difference is that schools would track students’ growth in a year as individuals. And by the way, those subgroups you mentioned? Not only do they count, they matter significantly. The failure of one or two subgroups to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) over two years could result in that school or district being categorized as a “School in Need of Improvement.” So yes, those children count. A lot. No one is exempt from testing. Not even severely disabled students.
One positive aspect of NCLB is that from it came the mandate for school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program to establish Wellness Policies and the regulations to enforce those policies. While we have a long way to go, many public school districts have made the commitment to provide healthier foods and increase physical fitness for students. Many districts have banned junk food, soft drinks and food-based celebrations in the classroom, which often resulted in a sugar and processed food fest. You, as the Natural As Possible Mom, should know that.
I have read and written about NCLB pretty extensively. I also serve as vice president of my school board in a socio-economically and racially diverse school district. I know first-hand the effects of NCLB, both positive and negative. I have great hopes for Arne Duncan and hope that the reforms put forward by his department find backing. But it’s going to take more than federal legislation to improve public education where we live. In New York State we face drastic budget cuts, increasing property taxes, and a host of new unfunded mandates. Right now, I’m thinking it’s going to take a miracle.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:34:20 +0000

Obama has said a few times now that he does not want performance based pay programs to be determined by arbitrary test scores. Obviously, this would result in the same problems seen with NCLB today and “teaching to the test”. It would probably make it even worse.

I’m not sure why so many feel that is the only way to implement a merit pay system. Performance based pay is the standard in the majority of workplaces today. It is rarely based on a single score or measure, but a cumulative score based on initiative, accountability, innovation, teamwork, communication, leadership, interpersonal skills, etc. – as judged by management and/or peers.

The only reason to avoid such a system is the common side-effect – it weakens union solidarity. Someone who works hard and is rewarded for it is less likely to stand beside and fight for someone who they know is less deserving, in order for the collective group to gain what they have already achieved through performance and hard work.

You will never see support from the Teachers union for anything resembling performance based pay, even if it wasn’t based on test scores or student performance.

By: Donald D

Donald D — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:25:32 +0000

Let me start with what I agree with NCLB didn’t work it was never fully funded and it forced teachers to teach to the test like you said. I also agree that college shouldn’t be the only answer for kids. If children learned trades and other skills that they can use in the work place that would help those children and the kids going to college. Less demand for college lower overall cost. Lets move on to where I think you dropped the ball starting at the top I’m sure president Obama would love to have the poll numbers the Bushes enjoyed after their first year in office. I don’t know what they were off hand but I’ll bet they were over 45%. Merit pay doesn’t work because you can’t judge it fairly unless you have some sort of evil test. Even then not all kids are the same so how can that test be fair. The college or career path plan is just another way to pigeonhole children and I feel its my job as a parent to help my child choose his or her path in life not the schools or the government…

By: Isabel

Isabel — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:49:48 +0000

I agree that the No Child Left Behind was a lame attempt at to improve our education system. You are right in the fact that holding all students to the same standards is unrealistic. Children are very different. They need to be taught in diferent ways to accomplish the ultimte goal, which is to help them become good citizens and functioning members of society.
I don’t understand your comment, “Here’s the catch: Certain scores are assessed separately. Kids who speak English as a second language, poor kids, minority kids — their scores often don’t count. ” and I think you have your facts mixed up. Students who just arrived from other countries have one year, (which is ridiculous, since it takes 4-7 years to learn a new language), before their scores are included in the schools. They shoud be give them more time to learn English before you can compare their score to children who learned English as their first language. Teachers that teach them should not be judged on the same scale either.
I would also like to talk about merit-pay, and why some teachers are against it. It is unclear and undefined on how teachers can fairly be judged for merit pay. Many discussions seem to aim at looking at student performance, an unfair practice. Students from middle and upper class homes will generally out perform the poor kids .When “rich” kid encounters problems in school, they are rescued with tutors, special classes and the help from their educated, literate, and successful parents. So should teachers that teach the “rich” make more than teachers who teach the “poor”? How many teachers would be competing to teach the “gifted and talented students”? Who will be left to teach the children with learning disabilities? Who will be left to teach in the poor neighborhoods with the ESL kids?

By: DJ Wells

DJ Wells — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:25:15 +0000

I think there’s a bigger problem facing kids’ education, and this comes from someone who TAUGHT in public schools, both rural and urban. The biggest problem is not what funding is allocated to a child’s education, or the magnitude of goverment intervention on the behalf on a particular school, region, or group of students… In my humble opinion, the number ONE determination of success of a child in schools is PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. This does not mean the kids with the most parental involvement will get the highest grades. It means that the majority of kids’ whose parents were involved always had their homework, had the extra credit projects completed, were held responsible for their actions, assignments, behavior, accomplishments AND failures at school. Teaching a student is NOT SOLELY the responsibility of a teacher. Parents MUST reinforce themes such as organizational skills, responsibility, citizenship, and dedication to excellence at home. Parents should provide a quiet, clear, uncluttered, and distraction free zone for homework and studying. There is no government agency advocating for that, is there? As I changed my career, added more hours, especially during tax season, a year-long work schedule, and became a parent myself, I LIVE by my beliefs that the key to a child’s success is parental involvement. I got into work early, pre-made dinner and worked my daily schedule around a school event tonight, supporting my child and his project that he is presenting, which, he started the day he was assigned it. I e-mail his teachers when he’s sick (from work) to see if there’s any way I can help him make up the work he’s missed. Teachers are getting an unfair shake here. A teacher can encourage a student to do their best, all the time, for the 6 or so hours they have them a day from September to June. The other 18 hours are completely our of their control. I’ve seen, firsthand, motivation fly out the window due to an apathetic parent. I’ve seen a parent redirect the responsibilty of a 3rd grader misplacing his sweatshirt to blaming a teacher (me) of STEALING it. One word of advice to anyone reading this. The parents who hindered their childrens’ education most were the parents who were the first to say, “NOT MY CHILD”, because, the majority of the time, yes… YOUR child. So, in my opinion, the teacher, the school administration, the government all of which are involved in this childs’ education from September through June for 6 hours a day, have the LEAST impact. What’s being taught the other 18 hours, perhaps THAT’S the bigger question.