As many of you know, I am not a proponent of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). NCLB is punitive and mean-spirited, and it has little if any effect on student outcomes. NCLB forces schools to focus on math, reading and standardized testing while failing to address other subjects that students need to be successful in life. It is a failure and needs to be recognized as such! Unfortunately, President Obama is continuing on with an agenda of standards and testing. From and educational standpoint, President Obama is a disappointment.
I’m currently reading “The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education”, by Diane Ravitch. From 1991 to 1993, Diane was Assistant Secretary of Education and Counselor to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. At one time, Ravitch was a proponent of NCLB. Her latest book talks about why her views about NCLB have changed dramatically.
The news about the firing of all teachers in a school in Central Falls, Rhode Island has made recent headlines. This action was taken as a result of low test scores and a high drop-out rate, and many people believe those responsible are “showing courage and doing the right thing for kids." Even President Obama agrees. What isn’t publicized is the fact that this school is one of the poorest in the state, and it has a high population of non-English speaking students. This reckless action demonstrates exactly what I mean by punitive and mean-spirited! It relays that teachers are always at fault. It ignores societal factors like language and poverty level. It ignores the fact that schools can’t be operated like businesses. Is this today’s version of educational reform? To me, it is nothing more than a blame game; all brawn and no brains.
Diane Ravitch wrote a nice article on this subject in the Huffington Post. I couldn’t have said it better!
And there was me thinking you were talking about students!
Posted by: dave b | 05/31/2010 at 10:02 AM