For my second blog post, I thought I might tackle my favorite topic: No Child Left Behind (NCLB), also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965/2001. While I believe NCLB played an important role in drawing attention to the educational inequities for underserved groups of children, I disagree with the implementation of high stakes testing as a solution to this problem. I also believe Congress acted absurdly in setting an unattainable goal of 100% proficiency in reading and math for all students by the year 2014 and then proceeding to respond as if anyone in disagreement with the policy was rabidly anti-child. Diane Ravitch put it best when she described the obtuse goal as “akin to a declaration of belief. Yes, we do believe that all children can and should learn. But as a goal, it is utterly out of reach . . . The law is comparable to Congress declaring 'that every last molecule of water or air pollution would vanish by 2014, or that all American cities would be crime free by that date.'"
Well, friends, 2014 is coming up in just a few short years and I hate to shock you, but we’re not even close. Relax! You know the old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, change the rules.” That’s right, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is under revision yet again! And although I’m a little confused that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appears to think the revisions provide for new and improved testing, while President Obama appears to think the revisions significantly reduce testing, I am hopeful this reincarnation might lead to something positive for school communities.
**Currently reading the full text of the proposed bill here. Stay tuned for more updates!
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