Tag Archives: No Child Left Behind

Where are the Drop-Outs?

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Today is by no means the first time I’ve thought about our dropouts, but, I was visiting with one yesterday and wanted to write about her. She is a very warm and delightful person. She is knowledgeable and seemed to possess great insight as to what is important in educating children and the practical wisdom that only years of practice can provide.

I’m not talking about our school dropouts; I’m talking about the people who have dropped out of the education “reform” effort. This wonderful woman was a retired kindergarten teacher. And in her own words, “After 30 plus years, I dropped out.” The year was 2004, three years after No Child Left Behind hit, and she was tired of seeing how kids were being pushed to “perform,” tested, and given limited access to the arts and a wide variety of activities.

She also went on to describe what had been her usual end-of-the-year activity which sounded to be a rather elaborate production by the students for their parents that included songs, poems, and a variety of other presentations. She said there was always an overflow crowd. And she went on to describe all the “lessons” involved in the planning and execution of this creation. But back then, she didn’t have to test the kids to prove the value of these lessons.

Not everything can be fun and games. But shouldn’t we at least do our best to ensure our curriculum is balanced with enough engaging and stimulating activities to keep kids wanting more, at all ages?

With so many teachers only knowing how and what they were taught (through test prep curricula), I’m afraid we have had too many of our “old-fashioned” educators dropout and our self-correction will be hard going without them.

If only the drop-outs would come back….

You can still make a difference.

You can still make a difference.

What Failed?

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A Mind is Too Beautiful to Waste

A Mind is Too Beautiful to Waste

The beliefs — test-based accountability, financial flexibility, and “choice” — the principles — the pillars upon which No Child Left Behind (NCLB) promised “to close the achievement gap” — have FAILED.

The theory was hailed by state education officialdom prior to NCLB. So all-in-all this grand experiment, concocted by those unwilling to listen to people in the trenches, had decades to “work” to “close the achievement gap.” It failed; it’s a FACT!

People across America are waking up to the reality that testing itself is wasting instructional time and our money. Parents are seeing that test-based accountability led to a narrow and boring curriculum for their children. It is one of the reasons many left the traditional public system to home-school.

Many are also using the “choice” part of this failed equation. But the reality is that “choice-based reform” has not led to reform. And it must be remembered that test-based accountability was used to declare schools as failed thus trumpeting the need for “choice” through a charter system. Failed and double failed!

But what of “flexibility”? Ah, that began as a token gesture of local control. Giving the local people the ability to spend Title I money (federal education dollars for low-income students) in a manner they saw fit was actually part of the original 1965 law. But back then it was understood that the money would be directed to serve the needs of those low-income students. When the states became convinced that test-based accountability was the way to go, the stage was set for federal dollars to be spent on this new focus. The public was duped and double duped.

It is time to view education differently – accountability, flexibility, and choice have failed to deliver on what it promised. And in the process, it did damage. Face that fact. Riding on accountability, flexibility, and choice as reform strategies is like riding a dead horse. Have a little respect. Dismount and bury it!

Policy Ping-Pong

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Wrongly, many people believe that excessive testing, narrowed curriculum, and wayward accountability schemes are the fault of federal policy. Most agree that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law is the main culprit. I most certainly am not defending NCLB, oh no, far from it. But the truth is that state-after-state was sold “Outcome-Based Education Reform” which morphed into test-based accountability. What No Child Left Behind did was to federalize the education trend that most states had already begun implementing on their own. So, why is this important to know?

If you play “The Change Game,” the first thing you need to know are the key players and the best places to play. When you know who and where to target with persuasion and propaganda, change comes at a relatively cheap price. And even though we should have a better view at the local and state level, the game hasn’t drawn much of a crowd.

So the wayward reforms began in the states, went to the federal level with NCLB, and now the ball is back on the states side of the table with NCLB waivers. Next stop? NCLB re-authorization? (Update as of 12/10/15: Yes, the law was changed to being called the Every Student Succeeds Act ESSA but the Outcome-Based foundation DID NOT CHANGE.)

Both state and federal lawmakers are for sale. With NCLB reauthorization done, the ball is in the state capitals.

Both state and federal policy writers are for sale. With NCLB reauthorization done, the ball is in state capitals.

And will the law once again follow the state’s trends – charter schools, fewer teachers, more technology, larger class sizes, and less real support for the public system (which means more privatization)? (Update as of 12/10/15: Answer, yes.)

The public is being played like a ping-pong ball. Now is not the time to sit on the sidelines and watch the ball (or the hammer) drop.

Citizens, We Shape the Debates

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“You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.”    President Obama

If ever there was an enduring ideal, universal education is it! And quality matters! How about we shape a debate around that? By what means do we deliver on that promise, Mr. President? You know what quality education looks like; how can we regular citizens get that full-meal deal for our kids?

Let me answer that question for you: Since many of us live in states where rulers of education policy and practices have their heads in the clouds and their fingers in our pocketbooks, we need sensible federal education law to protect and serve us well. We need effective schools as the standard.

Characteristics of effective schools are:
“1) The principal’s leadership and attention to the quality of instruction;
2) A pervasive and broadly understood instructional focus;
3) An orderly, safe climate conducive to teaching and learning;
4) Teacher behaviors that convey the expectation that all students are expected to obtain at least minimal mastery; and
5) The use of measures of pupil achievement as the basis for program evaluation.”
(Ronald R. Edmonds, Programs of School Improvement: An Overview, Educational Leadership, Dec. 1982)

Two things will ensure these characteristics exist in all schools; improving teacher and counselor education and increasing the knowledge, skills, motivation, and desire (the capacity) of our leaders and communities.

The debate should be over the failure of leaders in addressing No Child Left Behind.485709

What is necessary is that people now push policy that is fair and balanced, represents our expectations, and focuses on providing high-quality personalized learning opportunities. For America, this is what opportunity looks like.

Where Are The People?

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I have trouble understanding why the public doesn’t insist that we provide quality education to all children. I believe that deep down we Americans share some common values. I’m pretty sure they include freedom and liberty. I thought they also included justice and fairness.

So, after over a decade of being ruled by an education law that has proven itself failed and detrimental, why has the inaction of our congress not moved the country to engage in a conversation about the nitty-gritty of No Child Left Behind?

It isn’t hard to draw parents with school-aged children into that conversation. If they have kids in a less than excellent school, they see how the law has bound too many of us to a teach-to-the-test mentality that is sucking the joy out of teaching and learning. How have parents responded?

It used to be that teachers looked down on the idea of teaching to the test; have they now bent down in servitude to a false symbol of quality, the test score? What will it take for them to rise up?

Now, what about the others — the 75 to 80% that are not directly involved in public schools — the general public that claims education is important? Why have we not demanded an explanation of why the law failed and why it hasn’t been changed?

It’s worrisome. Where are the people that should be behind pushing this issue in the right direction?

Choice in Education Reform

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When a school doesn’t provide what you think it should for one of your own, it’s an easy call. You want to take action. You want to see something done about it.

When you have great schools, it’s hard to take the time to think about the effect underperforming schools have on you and yours. But give it some thought. An under-educated society costs us all. That is why, as a civil society, we need great schools for all. But that fact has not yet motivated us to act. Education reform requires personal sacrifice from us all. It starts with each of us making a conscious choice to act and depends on us finding or creating the opportunities to do so — big or small.

As a nation, we have serious problems to face.

No Child Left Behind (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – ESEA) cemented the direction of education “reform” without bringing to the table those who understand the needs of our communities and our children — the real stakeholders — the People.

That federal law combined with our financial wrong turns as a nation and the misguided reforms of the last three decades has brought public education to a crossroads.

Choices must be made.

Provide standardized education for the masses with personalized instruction for the lucky ones and those that can afford it, or, provide equal access to quality education?

Allow teaching to become another low-wage trade, or, remain a profession with a standard of practice that we can continuously improve upon?

Put our education dollars into the pockets of private investors, or, invest in supporting and strengthening the institution of public education?

Continue to follow the current pretenses of reform, or, solve our problems?

Rise up, people. Embrace the solutions.

The “Status Quo” of Reform

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These two words “status quo” are tossed around frequently and conjure up some raw emotions for many who have tried, unsuccessfully, to improve their own schools. “Status quo” invokes visions of entrenchment on the part of administration, school boards, teachers, or, on the “other side,” the unions, education establishment, the politically powerful foundations, organizations, individuals, corporations, and their lobbying groups who pull the strings of education policy.

But if we all put aside our personal feelings a moment and think strictly about the big picture of “education reform,” then, it becomes clear what the status quo of reform efforts really is. Status quo literally means the current state of affairs.

Is America secure with the "status quo"? Do they know what it is?

Is America secure with the “status quo”? Do they know what it is?

For three decades, our education reform strategy has been based on high-stakes standardized testing. It is The Theory Behind No Child Left Behind.

The ideology wars — progressives vs. traditionalists, whole language vs. phonics, unions vs. anti-unionists — and the ongoing blame games would be of miniscule significance if we were focusing on what is truly important in an education reform effort — educating children. The status quo of reform has failed them miserably.

The status quo of education reform is test-based education.