No Child Left Behind? Too Many Falling Through the Cracks.

NCLB

http://www.educatorroundtable.org

No Child Left Behind?

Every 2 minutes a baby is born into poverty. Every 7 minutes a baby is born at low birth weight. Every 15 minutes a baby is born to a mother who received late or no prenatal care. Every hour a baby dies before turning one. NCLB blames teachers for failing schools, but it's not so simple

Click on the URL and the link above for entire articles. Scroll down to texts on URL.

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The Seven Deadly Absurdities of No Child Left Behind

http://nochildleft.com/2004/oct04absurd.html

Click on link for entire article, detailing flaws and absurdities in the plan.

Excerpt: To some, NCLB has always been yet another Bush administration Orwellian Double Speak program. It aims to increase the use of vouchers, increase the privatization of public schools, reduce the size of the public sector, and weaken or destroy the teachers unions (two Democratic power bases). It contains enough inherent absurdities, though, that people of all political stripes should welcome a speedy revision or demise. The candidates should be talking about all this.

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No Child Left Behind Should Be More Than a Slogan

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=dean08&date20040108

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[WA. The goal of the Theocrats is for the church to take over supervising the education (brainwashing) of our children. The curriculum would embrace the religious views of the CR, not science or fact. The failure of present public schools and subsequent privatization of schools would offer the opportunity for the religious to take control, just as the Administration strives to reduce/eliminate government "welfare" and place it in the hands of "faith based" organizations (churches).

Houston Independent School District is the largest school district in Texas. Recently it awarded bonuses to teachers for excellent work as an incentive. All hell tore loose. Teachers of core subjects - English, reading, math and science - were the main bonus recipients as standards were based on certain tests of the entire school. Kindergarten teachers, bilingual teachers, physical education teachers and special education teachers were left out because those students/classes did not take the tests. Some teachers complained that they no longer taught subjects; they had to teach tests. She said it was test, test, test when it should be teach, teach, teach. Several years ago a teacher complained that for weeks before the tests she had to teach the material covered on the tests, not the overall subject matter.The children learned the test material but did not know the subject well. see Bonuses bring smilles, frowns: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/side2/4494130.html A teacher whose entire class passed the TAKS test received no bonus; neither did the bilingual teacher who had been named Bilingual Teacher of the Year.

Due to the vast influx of illegal immigrants to this country whose children must be educated, bilingual teachers are very important.

quote: “About half of the immigration into the United States is illegal, thus approximately half of the impact of immigration on our public schools (may be) due to illegal immigration. In California, where illegal immigration is concentrated, the California Department of Education estimates 16 new classrooms will need to be built every day, seven days a week, for the next five years. The number of teachers will need to be doubled within ten years, requiring 300,000 new educators." Naomi Lege: Opening Doors Immigration and Education. http://www.itemonline.com/opinion/local_story_152182243.html This at a time when too many teachers are leaving the profession and too few entering it, compounded by the grading of schools according to NCLB test results that have no scientific basis.

In Texas the percentage of Hispanic students has risen dramatically and the percentage of anglo (white) students has fallen. In Houston ISD in 2005, 59% of students were Hispanic, including illegal immigrant, non-English speaking students. There are an estimated 1.5 million Hispanic students in Texas and an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 are illegals, a vast increase in non-English speaking students. There must be bi-lingual text books and materials and bilingual teachers to teach. Can anyone honestly say that these teachers do not qualify for bonuses? Is teaching these children the common language of the U.S. and educating them equally to their anglo peers not important?

Pre-school and Kindergarten teachers build the groundwork and foundation for all education to follow. Is their work unimportant and ineligible for bonuses? Childhood obesity and poor physical conditions are a national scandal, yet Physical Education teachers do not qualify for bonuses? Is there a harder job than trying to educate physically/mentally challenged children than a Special Education teacher?Are Music and Arts unimportant? Yet the tests to meet criteria for schools to pass the NCLB standards do not include any of these. Core subjects are important and necessary but children need a well rounded education.

Bush's No Child Left Behind is a crock of it and merely a ploy to move to privatization of schools, with attendent profits to the owners (Bush LOVES Private Enterprise and Business) and an open door to the Theocrats to dictate curriculia.