[Speed Gibson,
Monday September 3, 2007 at 11:31pm]
No Child Left Behind
There was a big jump in underperforming schools just announced per the standardized testing implemented under the President's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) program. Frankly, I couldn't care less.
Everything about NCLB makes sense, except that it's a Federal program. It tests for results (annual yearly progress), then warn, sanction, even close schools that don't pass.
But what's the point? Too many of the factors leading to poor results are beyond the public schools' ability to change or mitigate. What's this, you ask, sympathy for Education Minnesota? No, I'm simply observing that our government run "public" schools simply are too entrenched to make the changes necessary, and that assumes that "one size fits all" education concept is still viable.
Let's not kid ourselves. A number of schools will get themselves taken off the list by some re-figuring of the results or the underlying demographics. Some, maybe most, will openly teach the test, which isn't a totally bad idea given some of the creative alternatives in practice. Some will ignore the outcomes by no longer taking Title I funds.
I hate to in effect raise our local taxes, but I think we'd be better off just saying no to NCLB, assuming we still can. Tell the Feds to keep their money: NCLB, Title I, all of it. Tell the school districts they no longer fill out all that paperwork. What they do with standardized testing is up to them from now on, pursuant to State law only.
If nothing else, this would clear some of the fog of accountability, and get us a little closer to vouchers or some other mechanism providing true parental choice to deal with their children's poor report cards directly.
Everything about NCLB makes sense, except that it's a Federal program. It tests for results (annual yearly progress), then warn, sanction, even close schools that don't pass.
But what's the point? Too many of the factors leading to poor results are beyond the public schools' ability to change or mitigate. What's this, you ask, sympathy for Education Minnesota? No, I'm simply observing that our government run "public" schools simply are too entrenched to make the changes necessary, and that assumes that "one size fits all" education concept is still viable.
Let's not kid ourselves. A number of schools will get themselves taken off the list by some re-figuring of the results or the underlying demographics. Some, maybe most, will openly teach the test, which isn't a totally bad idea given some of the creative alternatives in practice. Some will ignore the outcomes by no longer taking Title I funds.
I hate to in effect raise our local taxes, but I think we'd be better off just saying no to NCLB, assuming we still can. Tell the Feds to keep their money: NCLB, Title I, all of it. Tell the school districts they no longer fill out all that paperwork. What they do with standardized testing is up to them from now on, pursuant to State law only.
If nothing else, this would clear some of the fog of accountability, and get us a little closer to vouchers or some other mechanism providing true parental choice to deal with their children's poor report cards directly.