No Child Left Behind education law being assailed from all sides

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Colleen Sparks

The Arizona Republic

Political, education and business groups are urging Congress to change the controversial No Child Left Behind education law, five years after it debuted.

President Bush signed it into law in 2002. Congress is reviewing possible revisions and plans to reauthorize it this year. The law, which reauthorized the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, requires states to establish standard learning goals for every grade, to test students in reading and math from third grade through high school and to have a qualified teacher in each classroom.

Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards exam measures students' knowledge of state grade-level standards in reading, writing and math.

When the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl and U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor voted for it. U.S. Reps. John Shadegg and Jeff Flake opposed it. The other half of Arizona's delegation was not yet in office.

[Jenn! 918]

This is good news. I think NCLB sucks overall.

[almaty 19]

This is good news. I think NCLB sucks overall.

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amen to that...

[eau_xplain 2]

Hear, hear!

[Andy 2]

Any law, even a good one, that imposes expensive controls and restrictions, demands conformity, and creates standards based on the notion that what we have already is inadequate yet fails to provide one red cent to fund all the programs and resources essential to success is a bad law. And at the outset this law didn't even start as a good one.

And that's without considering by what right the federal government think they have in playing with the education systems of the many and various states.

[Fuzzness 2]

repeal the m*therf*cker

[maya62 7]

NCLB definitely SUCKS. My stepson now lives a life almost completely bereft of music, dance, art and culture, not only compared to his native Nepal, but compared to the education I enjoyed here in the US as a child lo those many years ago. Now all the teachers must "teach to the test", leaving little room for expanding those little minds in other areas.

I wonder what the average parent can do to help sink this lousy law. Are there any bills pending?

Maya

[KarenCee 3]

This is good news. I think NCLB sucks overall.

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amen to that...

OH YES....I am definately for revising, revamping, repealing...whatever they have to do. This law not only makes it stressful for teachers, it puts a LOT of stress on our students. The special education students aren't helped much by it either when they are subject to taking the same test as their peers, with limited modifications.

[pedroh 21]

This is good news. I think NCLB sucks overall.

\

amen to that...

OH YES....I am definately for revising, revamping, repealing...whatever they have to do. This law not only makes it stressful for teachers, it puts a LOT of stress on our students. The special education students aren't helped much by it either when they are subject to taking the same test as their peers, with limited modifications.

[Caladan 19]

This was a dumb law all the way around. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Fitting with my general stance against dumb laws, I say repeal it and leave it to the state and local boards.