End NCLB now! Sign the petition!

I know that most people don't pay close attention to education the way I do.  But take my word for it --No Child Left Behind, the catchy title appended to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is a bad law badly in need of a thorough rewriting.  Or outright repeal! 

Or, don't take my word for it.  Just read the arguments on this petition asking Congress to vote NO! on reauthorizing NCLB.  Here are a few of my favorites: 

--Assumes that competition is the primary motivator of human behavior and that market forces can cure all educational ills.

--Allows life-changing, institution-shaping decisions to hinge on single measures of performance. [ aka standardized tests]

--Emphasizes minimum content standards rather than maximum development of human potential.

--Neglects the teaching of higher order thinking skills which cannot be evaluated by machines.

--Drives art, music, foreign language, career and technical education, physical education, geography, history, civics and other non-tested subjects out of the curriculum, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

--Rates and ranks public schools using procedures that will gradually label them all "failures," so when they fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress, as all schools eventually will, they can be “saved” by vouchers, charters, or privatization.

The initial version of NCLB indeed provided for vouchers, a provision ultimately removed to gain the support of Democrats like Ted Kennedy.  But the thrust of the law is still toward privatization --through charters, choice, and punitive sanctions designed, I believe, to undermine the institution of public education.

Worse, putative defenders of public schools, members of the Portland School Board, for example, use the mandates of NCLB to justify lax transfer policies and further choice options which inevitably hurt low income neighborhood schools.   

Lastly, many researchers believe that NCLB's goal by 2014 of "proficiency" --quite narrowly defined as reading literacy and math numeracy-- for all students is an impossible dream.  Richard Rothstein, for example, has written a long --70 pages long-- analysis of the proficiency goal.  He calls proficiency an 'oxymoron':

"There is no date by which all (or even nearly all) students in any subgroup, even middle-class white students, can achieve proficiency. Proficiency for all is an oxymoron, as the term 'proficiency' is commonly understood and properly used."

Read the entire paper if you have the time.  If not, just ponder the petition's list of accusations against NCLB.  (Here's another version with linked explanations,)

Then, click the button.   Act now, and sign the petition against reauthorization of NCLB!

Comments

[JustaDog]

And more and more jobs go to better educated workers in other countries. As long as the current public school system prevails there is no hope for the children of the USA - and count yourself as one at fault.

The concept of education from Democrats will force the majority of children into low skilled labor - minimum wage and union jobs.

Then you and your children can buy all those cool things that are created and manufactured by better educated people in some other country.

DUH!

[Terry]

I gather from your comment, Dog, that you favor the privatization of public education. If so, just say so, and we can dispense with arguments over NCLB and its damaging effect on public schools.

[Philip Kovacs]

I just wanted to thank you for the support!