My Thoughts on NCLB & the Politics of Education

This law has not really had an effect on me in my current district in Bergen County other than that I had to fill out a few forms and prove that I was a highly-qualified teacher. Our faculty meetings have not really touched on this subject directly. I think as it gets closer to the date, our administrators will be forced to look at the test scores in this regard, and I know that we will be asked to do something at our faculty meetings.

In theory, NCLB is a wonderful idea, and as I researched success stories on their website, I was able to view examples of schools that have successful programs. I was impressed with Rome, Georgia's Main Elementary School, and all of the effort that they have put into creating individualized instruction that was tailored to the students' needs. It was the only school in Georgia where all of their 3rd and 5th grade students were at or above proficiency levels in math and reading. I liked that they had early intervention programs offering after-school tutoring. Their teachers had a tool box of resources, had high expectations for their students, and they had small class sizes. They also had special professional development for all of their staff to help their students succeed.

I also was impressed by Denver's Summer Scholars program in reading and writing. They showed proof that their 6 week summer enrichment program helped their disadvantaged children move forward in the areas of reading and writing. They received small group instruction in the morning, and they had fun activities in the afternoon such as a swimming program that was a big incentive for the students to attend. Also they offered a family literacy program with childcare for their parents. Everyone benefitted from this program.

By watching the examples of success stories like these, it was evident that children can be successful when they are offered so much help. I worked in Union City a few years ago, and they offered their students so many programs: before school breakfast and tutoring sessions, an after-school program, a safe-haven after the after-school program, a great recreation swimming center, and a Saturday morning program. The community was also involved in the school where their parents could take courses to help them learn English and computer technology. By teaching in this district, I was aware of the great strides that you could make when children receive the services that they need to be successful.

In answer to the question on how I feel about this law, I can't help but wish that all children would receive an education where they could become proficient in reading, writing, and math. Should the government help districts fulfill these goals? Yes. Are they funding the services that are needed to accomplish this? No. Is everyone able to make this possible? No, not yet. Is it fair to all of the districts? No. Is it going to hurt some districts? Yes. Have we seen great strides in education? Yes. Do we need to continue to make these strikes? Yes. Then, what needs to be done so that we can make it an attainable and equitable goal is my question.

I'm very interested in reading everyone's blogs on this topic. It sounds like a good discussion topic.