Can the No Child Left Behind Act be revised and improved?
by Sara Bernard
August 9, 2006
In a recent Edutopia interview [2], Kimberly Oliver, the 2006 National Teacher of the Year, said that the tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act are realistic and achievable, but only if we continue to revise and improve on them. Today, organizations such as the National Education Association, which proposes specific changes to the NCLB in contrast to its once-fierce resistance, echoed her thoughts.
Nevertheless, many voices still launch battle cries, as more and more schools, districts, and states are unable to meet the law's demands. In recent weeks, it has become clear that a majority of states in the Union are slated for federal funding cuts due to a failure to attain NCLB-mandated high-quality teacher and state testing standards. Where do you stand on this issue? Should the NCLB be abandoned, or are there ways to revise it so that it will work for public schools? We're interested in your opinion.
Links:
[1] http://www.edutopia.org/sara-bernard
[2] http://www.edutopia.org/conversation-kimberly-oliver
[3] http://www.edutopia.org/node/3383/results
[4] http://www.edutopia.org/node/1394
[5] http://www.edutopia.org/node/1395
[6] http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/25/education/25child.html?ref=education
[7] http://www.nclbgrassroots.org/revolt.php