The No Child Left Behind Act signed into law by Bush Jr has been a controversial law since it's inception. Teachers I know say it's not been a good thing. However I can't help but feel my children are now getting a better education because NCLB forces some fundamentals to be taught and measured.
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
Recently Ron Paul advocated the dismantling of the Dept of Education and well..at first that struck me as radical but then as I thought about it I realized it made sense. Why do States need Federal interference of the education system? Seems to be just another layer of beauracracy.
Any opinions my friends? Any teachers willing to chime in?
I'm hearing from teachers around here that because of the NCLB Act, they are forced into spending more time getting kids to just pass tests than really appealing to their imagination and creativity. I'm not sure this Act is all it was cracked up to be.
I am really appalled at how many high school graduates can't read! That is terrible.
Purrs,
Pookie
I'm hearing from teachers around here that because of the NCLB Act, they are forced into spending more time getting kids to just pass tests than really appealing to their imagination and creativity. I'm not sure this Act is all it was cracked up to be.
I am really appalled at how many high school graduates can't read! That is terrible.
Purrs,
Pookie
Yeah...that's the impression I get too but I think to myself...well what's wrong with focusing on the basics and ensuring kids know how to do the math and to read? Yeah creativity and imagination are wonderful but do teachers really "teach" that? Education imho has gotten worse as it's gotten more liberal. Most of the best education systems in the world are very systematic and are direct toward education. When art, physical education, and theatre start becoming passing credits then basic education suffers.
Sports is one way idiots get through school.
When art, physical education, and theatre start becoming passing credits then basic education suffers.
I don't see what's wrong with offering art and such in school. Maybe those classes shouldn't be required to graduate, but they should be offered to students who enjoy that kind of stuff.
The No Child Left Behind sucks in my opinion. It dumbs everything down to a low level just to ensure no one will be "left behind." It's all about passing the tests, even if that means lowering the test standards.
I'm an old fart, but when I was going through grade and high school, we were given a dang good education. There was room for creativity and in 7th grade, we started on algebra and geometry. Seems like schools today are nowhere near what they used to be.
Test standards have been lowered. I noticed that when my daughter was in school. When she was in fourth grade, her reading level was much higher than the other kids', and she was ordered to return a book to the library because it was "above the average reading level."
The book was "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."
I sent a nasty note to her teacher and bought my daughter the book. No child should be forced to dumb down in anything.
Purrs,
Pookie
Test standards have been lowered. I noticed that when my daughter was in school. When she was in fourth grade, her reading level was much higher than the other kids', and she was ordered to return a book to the library because it was "above the average reading level."
The book was "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich."
I sent a nasty note to her teacher and bought my daughter the book. No child should be forced to dumb down in anything.
Purrs,
Pookie
That's obnoxious. Kudos to you for that nasty note and buying your daughter the book.
I think to myself...well what's wrong with focusing on the basics and ensuring kids know how to do the math and to read? Yeah creativity and imagination are wonderful but do teachers really "teach" that?
There's nothing wrong with making sure that kids have those skills, but they aren't the only ones that the schools need to focus on. No, teachers do not teach creativity and imagination, but everyone has a little at least; it's the teacher's job to nurture that. Those are skills that you definitely need in real life. Think about it -- at some point, as you go through life, you'll need to present yourself, or material to an employer or other person of interest in order to take that next step to be successful. Why would an employer pick you over anyone else? What's going to make you special? That's where the creativity and imagination come in. Same with completing an assignment or solving a problem -- both important life skills. How can you solve the more difficult ones without creativity?
Creativity and imagination are like muscles, they need to be used enough; or else they won't be very helpful to you. That's why schools need to help students strengthen these by offering those classes like art and other humanities.
My personal opinion on the law itself, as Spirit so eloquently put it: it sucks. Among the points already raised, the fact that they think those computer-graded tests will provide an accurate assessment of a student's grasp on the concepts is hysterical to me.