Is it time to get rid of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND?  Why or why not?
601732
It's time to get the government completely out of family business, including education. All of these social welfare programs are just more means of control and more hands on the purse strings. -yk
858697
I am a teaching assisant and there are so many children now in the 'inclusion' zone, it is sometimes impossible to have a controlled classroon. There are ADD, Aspergers, extreme low level learners, just plain old bad behaviour alll in the mix as well as the normal good children that are just there to learn. The teachers hands are tied. They can't get rid of any of these children as the law states they have to be included. It can be hell. I feel most sorry for the good ones who are getting left behind because so much time is taken with all of these demanding children.
125209
NO!!!!  Ever been in line to get a drivers license?  Actually, quite the opposite.  I believe we need to privatize schools.  Capitalism will only make the product better. Instead of government controlling everything if we allow the private sector to compete for our children and their education they will have no choice but to be better schools.
281854
Absolutely.  Public schools are becoming a total 'joke' in America.  Just look at all the grammatical and spelling errors on this site!
1020766
Recess is going away precisely because of what you said:  more time is perceived to be needed to teach standards and testing content.  It is a HORRIBLE idea, not only because of the fresh air and "break" kids get during recess, but more importantly because they need motor development in elementary school.  For the same reason, it is idiotic to keep a kid who is behaviorally challenged (or any kid) inside at recess as a punishment. \nSadly, what makes sense to parents and teachers seldom gets through the thick heads of administrators on up to the US government.  You have touched upon only one of the many things way wrong with the US public ed system.
1098411
No child left behind. Too much emphasis on test scores and not on education. Schools will prepare for these standardized tests for weeks
1036144
It has been a disaster.\n\nWhat has happened is: a lot of schools have been trying to push out the problem kids because they need their success rate to increase. My nephew went through this and ended up dropping out as soon as he turned 16.
381847
I am not a teacher yet but I belive NCLB sucks. It puts more mphasis on teacher credential than student learning. Teachers have to spend more time worrying about test scores and less time teahing non-test materials. Theydon't get paid enough to put up with the BS. Hope these help:\n\nhttp://nonclb.blogspot.com/\n\nhttp://nclb.meetup.com/    (lets you find one in your area)
1166715
Not everyone who attends college has to pay for it.  I believe four years of college or university are free in many very progressive countries, including Britain and Australia.  Promoting and supporting a better educated population is no disadvangtage to any country.  The US and Canada would do well to make post-secondary education more reachable for more students.  Over a generation or so we would see a significant decrease in illiteracy and a significant increase in GNP.
1176784
Yes. The problem is that it's difficult to sound well-educated when one isn't. Welcome to the pacification of America. First, we'll stop teaching English in the classroom, and replace it with self-esteem training. That way, when they can't speak or write cohesively, they won't feel so bad about it. No child gets left behind if none of them go anywhere...
1091935
President Bush made a commitment to ensure that all children receive a high quality education so that no child is left behind. And just one year after the President first took office, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) passed overwhelmingly with support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. NCLB has led to higher standards and greater accountability throughout the Nation's school systems. Here are some key facts and terms that you should know about how this historic law helps your child:\n\nThe Facts About No Child Left Behind\n      Funding: No Child Left Behind gives school districts more money. In fact, President Bush and Congress are spending more money than ever before on the education of America's children.\n    *\n      Flexibility: No Child Left Behind gives states and school districts more control and more flexibility to use resources where they are needed most. Principals and administrators will spend less time filling out forms and more time helping your child learn.\n    *\n      Accountability: No Child Left Behind holds schools and school districts accountable for results. Schools are responsible for making sure your child is learning.\n    *\n      School District Report Cards: No Child Left Behind gives parents report cards so they can see which schools in their district are succeeding and why. With this information, No Child Left Behind gives parents, community leaders, teachers, principals, and elected leaders the information they need to improve schools.\n    *\n      Public School Choice: No Child Left Behind may let you transfer your child to another public school if the state says that your child's school is "in need of improvement." Your school district may pay for transportation for your child. Contact your child's school district to find out if your child has this opportunity.\n    *\n      Extra Help with Learning: No Child Left Behind may also provide your child with free tutoring and extra help with schoolwork if the state says your child's school has been "in need of improvement" for at least 2 years. This extra help is often referred to as Supplemental Educational Services. Contact your child's school district to find out if your child qualifies.\n    *\n      Parental Involvement: No Child Left Behind requires schools to develop ways to get parents more involved in their child's education and in improving the school. Contact your child's school to find out how you can get involved.\n    *\n      Measuring Knowledge: No Child Left Behind requires states to test your child in reading and math every year in grades 3-8. Your child will also be tested at least once in high school. The tests will help you, your child, and your child's teachers know how well your child is learning and when he or she needs extra help.\n    *\n      Scientifically Based Research: No Child Left Behind focuses on teaching methods that have been proven by research to work. There will be no more experimenting on children with educational fads.\n    *\n      Reading First: No Child Left Behind provides more than one billion dollars a year to help children learn to read. Reading First is the part of No Child Left Behind that is dedicated to ensuring all children learn to read on grade level by the third grade. Reading First provides money to states and many school districts to support high quality reading programs based on the best scientific research. Contact your child's school district to find out if its reading program is based on research.\n    *\n      Teacher Quality: No Child Left Behind provides funding to help teachers learn to be better teachers.
1180150
I'm an elementary school teacher (first grade and now kindergarten).  When you have small children with many absences or tardies, there's something wrong with the parents.  Small children need the help of adults to get to school on time.  In the case of elementary school aged children I would say yes.  When kids get to be teenagers in middle and high school, it's a  different story.  By that age I think teens should be responsible enough to get themselves to school on time.  Some kids purposely ditch certain classes.  In that case I don't think it's fair to hold parents responsible.  I think teens should be punished for ditching their classes.  Maybe they should be forced to do detention or Saturday school; if they continue, make the punishment even harsher.  Perhaps if you've been absent a certain number of days you shouldn't be allowed to graduate until you make up those hours.  Or maybe they could require teens to complete some sort of community service to make up those hours.  I think it's time that we make people responsible for their own actions.
732857
The way they are reducing education standards they might as well scrap school.\n\nFFS they are even allowing TXT SPEAK to be used in essays for everything but English Language these days.
733559
I just read some research about a week ago from a study that showed teachers who choose or felt they had a gift for teaching had students who performed 50 percent better than those who did not.  That is not just a drop in the bucket.\n\nBut....here is the reality in America.  The schools are underfunded, the president's program has left education in a shambles, classrooms are too full, no one wants to pay anymore taxes for new schools or even expansions.  Teachers are having to be parents, guardians, police and counselors.  Their pay stinks. Under those conditions, teachers, even those who are truly gifted become disillusioned pretty fast.\n\nThink about it...it seems a lot of you are still in high school...what goes on in your classroom, is the teacher given any respect, do they have any time to teach or do they have to spend all their time disciplining students and trying to control the class.  Your teachers are not dumb, they just do not know what to try anymore.\n\nI expect they are as frustrated as you are as students.  Maybe you guys (teachers and students) need to pull together and start telling the people who can make a difference what needs to be done for our schools.
679779
No...they should fix the F---d up school instead of shipping students to other schools...just think...if we sunk the billions of dollars every year that we as a nation spend on fighting the drug wars on paying our teachers a decent wage, upgrading the schools and instilling some discipline and good hard work back into the schools our "drug" problems would slowly diminish because we are teaching our future adults that EDUCATION is important...what a concept huh!
485078
No Child Left Behind is FULL OF IT!!!\n\nIt is unfair to students (how fair would it be to go to the hospital and inform the staff there that every patient, including those in the ICU, will have to run the New York City Marthon in less than 6 months or the hospital will be closed down and the staff won't be able to find jobs elsewhere?), makes teachers and schools the scapegoat for variables out of their control such as parenting issues (student attendance, etc.), and totally ignores most Special Education and ELL best practices research.\n\nAlso, increased testing time reduces instructional time (both the "big" state testing done in the spring, and the constant "data collection" efforts by districts using various assessment instruments in an attempt to provide alternative data if the kids fail state testing).\n\nThe "highly qualified" provisions place burden of proof for knowledge and skills on districts and teachers rather than on teacher prep programs. You would think that the college diploma (and continuing professional development certificates) would be proof of appropriate professional training. If incompetent teachers are there, it is because college programs failed to screen them properly. \n\nThe top cause of teacher burnout is paperwork/administrative stress, not the students. NCLB increases paperwork and administrative demands on the teachers.\n\nSchool administrators are finding their hands tied in regards to building discipline, because NCLB places AYP in jeapordy if there are "too many" office referrals and discipline actions...and the real troublemakers are quick to notice this and abuse it.\n\nWell, I could go on with more examples, but you get the idea.
401934
It depends on which tests/assessments you mean.  If you mean the regular weekly tests given over classwork, then no...teachers need to constantly monitor how well their students are gaining the skills/knowledge to see what needs re-teaching.\n\nIf you mean the state standardized tests and No Child Left Behind demands for performance, HECK YEAH IT'S TOO MUCH!!!\n\nWe spend 3 weeks every March testing, testing, testing, instead of teaching...and now they want to add Kinder, First, and Second graders to the formal state tests.  It is just too much, too high-stress for the kids, and takes too much time away from instruction. As a special education teacher, I can chart regression of skills issues to determine need for summer school over the testing window. My kids fall farther behind doing tests that they are not ready for.\n\nIf we want higher accountability, then have each student maintain a portfolio of work, and make passing grades B's rather than D's (80% mastery of material rather than 60%).