In other words, the law has created the situation of cheating.



Jeff Rigby wrote:
The original question: "Is the NCLB act working?", IF there is pressure to
perform and the majority ARE performing then it's better than the schools
would be with no NCLB act.


1- it isn't established for certain that the majority are performing
2- it is very far from established that the test standards are closely
related to worthwhile educational goals
3- it is very definitely established that the schools are losing
resources to the demands of constant testing
4- it is very definitely established that it is far more difficult to
hire teachers

Now for the questions which require actual thought

Do you consider it a good thing that the Federal gov't has siezed
control of local school curriculums at all grade levels?

Do you consider it a good thing that the Federal gov't has implemented
this program designed to politically benefit the far right wing of the
Republican party at least two ways- in the short term by undercutting
the teacher's unions, notoriously liberal and almost monolithically
Democrat- in the long run by reducing educational competition and upward
mobility, thus increasing the stratification of the US?

Then there is the issue of whether it's a good thing to teach children
that they must constantly jump thru hoops set for them by the Federal
gov't, an attitude they will presumably carry forward into adult life.
This is a strange thing for "conservatives" (especially 'conservatives'
who express such disdain for the gummint) to approve.

Your statement seems to indicate that the students don't need these skills,

Well, it's big question as to whether you prefer rote memorization &
regurgitation of standardized material to a more complex form of
learning. Nothing wrong with memorization.

that there is some OTHER agenda in the school system beyond teaching basic
skills like math and reading.


Umm do you think there's *not* another agenda?

Sort of liek, do you think that President Bush *really* intends to try &
outlaw abortion and gay marriage? If he actually did that, how could he
rally the faithful at the next election?


The fact that schools have to concentrate on basic skills to the exclusion
of all other academics is hopefully a short term problem as those coming up
thru the school system will have those skills before they reach high school.
I don't see the problem in teaching basic skills if they don't have them.
They are a necessary building block for future academics.


Agreed. But 1- I don't think the NCLB is actually "working" anywhere
near as well as it's boosters claim and 2- it makes me very uneasy to
have the Federal gov't simply take control of a previously locally
controlled and locally funded community asset.

I don't really have a dog in this fight, being neither a teacher or a
parent. But it's interesting to observe the way this mind-control
program has been developed and approved by the very people who screamed
bloody murder at any previous attempt to Federally regulate schools.

DSK