Dismantle NCLB
From Susan Ohanian:
The Educator Roundtable: Ending NCLB is a grassroots movement of educators, parents, and concerned citizens who have signed a petition, rejecting the misnamed No Child Left Behind Act and calling for legislators to vote against its reauthorization. We do so not because we resist accountability, but because the law’s simplistic approach to education reform wastes student potential, undermines public education, and threatens the future of our democracy.
Jonathan Kozol, who spoke here recently, called NCLB a public shaming ritual to punish the public schools and to pave the way for vouchers. Since it’s inception, I’ve said that this law was never about improving public education. It’s emphasis on high-stakes testing is driving us toward mediocrity, and not excellence. Indeed, the achievement gap is not closing.
Testing is not teaching. Sign the petition here.
Sarah Puglisi wrote,
Sign…….because children cannot.
Sarah
Link | November 23rd, 2006 at 8:58 am
Clarence Griffin wrote,
You point out that NCLB is driving schools toward mediocrity and that is surely true, but I think only incidental to the main focus of the legislation. After listening to Kozol and thinking about it, I believe NCLB is primarily about paving the way for vouchers, which is to say, buttressing the pillars of racism. This comes as a dreary, but not surprising, realization.
Link | November 23rd, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Rebecca Aguilar wrote,
I know House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi is on record as stating NCLB was “an empty promise.”
Pelosi seems to be in line with those who require the NCLB to be fully funded.
Any statements from the new Congress showing interest in voting against NCLB’s reauthorization?
Link | November 27th, 2006 at 9:45 am
philip kovacs wrote,
I just wanted to thank you for the press….
Link | November 28th, 2006 at 6:39 pm
marcia thomason wrote,
Return teaching to the professionals.
Link | December 2nd, 2006 at 11:26 am
Sherrie Bjurstrom wrote,
NCLB has made a wasteland of public schools, especially those schools that serve disadvantaged students. Teachers are more than overburdened with paperwork that distracts from their teaching efforts. Students are brought into school every day and are drilled all day long on proficiency questions, with worksheets and computerized drilling sessions taking precedence over teachers teaching. NCLB has done nothing for education other than to create a huge profitable testing industry that drains the already poorly-funded schools of money and teacher time.
Link | December 2nd, 2006 at 12:33 pm