No Child Left Behind
The D-News has a good editorial on the National Education Association's challenge to No Child Left Behind. As I've stated elsewhere on this blog, spending clause challenges to federal legislation aren't well received by the courts. But, as the D-News notes:
But whether No Child Left Behind is adequately funded makes little difference. Centralized solutions to local problems don't work. They make local officials resentful and put them in search of ways to circumvent the law. They also make people feel powerless as they realize their local school boards and state legislatures have little control over the issue.
Along with being a seriously flawed law, NCLB disenfranchises people on educational policy. As the D-News concludes, "people should lobby Congress to repeal the law."
But whether No Child Left Behind is adequately funded makes little difference. Centralized solutions to local problems don't work. They make local officials resentful and put them in search of ways to circumvent the law. They also make people feel powerless as they realize their local school boards and state legislatures have little control over the issue.
Along with being a seriously flawed law, NCLB disenfranchises people on educational policy. As the D-News concludes, "people should lobby Congress to repeal the law."
posted by steve u. at 11/28/2005
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4 Comments:
You nailed it. The Founding Fathers did not intend that the Federal Govermaent should become involved in Local Scools except to enforce the greater equal protection principles of the U.S. Constitution. I do not dissagree with most of the objectives of NCLB. It was first appropriately implemented in a state by a Governor whose business it was. As president of the United States, that same former State Governor is "out of school" in attempting to implement and enforce NCLB from Washington. It would be perfectly appropriate for the Governor of any state, including mine, to implement a locally taylored and enforced NCLB at the state level. If I understand correctly, that is what the State of Utah is attempting to do but is hampered by Federal bureaucrats whose business it is not.
Good to hear from you, Voin! I think you nailed it.
Speaking of what states can and should do, I'm excited to run the education initiative package I outlined below. Probably tuition tax credits will be run by another Rep. as a stand-alone bill and a few other aspects might be added or modified to the package. But, it seems momentum is building.
Does the Utah legislature do the same thing with some of its educational policies? Although well intentioned, they too occasionally intrude on local issues.
One part of NCLB is the ability for parents of low performing schools to send their children to performing schools. In 2004, my school met all of its goals. Within weeks of finding out, 100 students from the worst school in the county transferred to our school. You guessed it, we failed to meet our goals this past year. From what I have witnessed so far, most of these students brought their absentee problems and lack of discipline with them. There have been a few NCLB students, however, that have thrived in our school, but many transferred to our school to avoid expulsion at their former school. This is a prime example of how NCLB looks good on paper, but in reality, it does not work for the majority of people.
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