Thank goodness my children are adults now and are not the victims of this stupid teach to the test instead of teaching children to reason policy. Still it's an issue some of my friends are dealing with.

In the end we will all deal with it as other countries surpass us in education.

If you have children in school what do you think of the NCLB policies, how have they affected your children and what do you think of this article?

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Spring Break Might Shrink in Howard
School System Latest to Seek More Preparation Time for Tests Under 'No Child' Law
By Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 28, 2008; Page C04

Schools have reduced recess, cut back on physical education and done away with field trips. Now spring break could be the next target as some educators try to find more teaching time to accommodate testing requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law

full article here http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/27/AR2008122701053.html

"Richard Nixon implemented "Head Start", George Bush implemented "No child left behind", Somebody is really loosing some Fn Ground here!"-----George Carlin

Personally speaking, I think this was one of the worst laws they could of passed! It's a lose/lose situation for both the teachers and the kids!

Teaching to the test is not very good for kids who want to go on to college. It's only good for kids that just want to get out of school.

yeah i was left behide when i was in the 3rd grade but than i went from the 4th grade to the 6 grade

You don't even want to know this teacher's opinion on NCLB.

Every state has to give a standardized test. Many students in the lower grades don't see the importance...so complete it very quickly. Which can bring down a school's preformance score.

NCLB or standardized test aside. Parental involvement is vital.

I knew several teachers. They all hate it.

I have had student tell me "You can't fail me, it is the law."

My response, "I don't fail anyone. It is simple you do the work you will pass. You choose not to do the work, you won't."

My Principal's philosophy..."Sit down, shut up, and do the work."

I'd like to see children taught to problem solve, to question and seek answers, to learn to research and test theories to start with...not what hoops to jump through.

Amen!!

NCLB is a joke, and a terrible one at that. It used to be, if you didn't learn what you were taught, you failed and were held back to do it over for as long as it took to learn it. If you weren't good enough to make the team, you went home and dealt with it, and tried again next time. There's too much coddling of kids nowadays. Not every kid is deserving of a trophy. It's the way of life.

I can wrap this all up with my favorite mantra....Personal Accountability!

it is no joke, if you know that the govt aways speaks in opposites. no child left behind. what what does that actually say? nothing other than what ever we do we want to do to all. everyone asumes it is a positive; does it say what no child will be left behind from? no it does not.

maybe they are not leaving any child behind in the dumbing down of the drone citizen; that would be my guess; (after all how many animals are sheltered at the animal shelter for more than a week[just a thought])

you know what hitlers line was in te 30s not long after taking power {you are either with us or against us} [imagine that]. i watched valkeri last night on the history channel [not the new movie the documentary] the united states is going down the same road as germany was in the 30s

I believe the law had good intentions but a bad outcome. It comes down to the parents. They have control over their schools. The elect the school board who over sees the local schools. You have the right to know what is being taught and how it is being taught. You have the right to pull your child out of any activities without consequences to your child. You are the only ones who can fix it. That's the way it is and should be.

But most times, that's placing the blame where it doesn't belong. It isn't always the teachers who aren't teaching properly. It's more likely the students who aren't learning properly, thus leading to things like people with atrocious English skills, all because they knew they could manipulate the system because they couldn't fail.

As a teacher...THANK YOU.

Recently there has been growing research in how children learn. And they do learn differently than they did 10 years ago. The reason/s for this are varied - diet, family life, lack of reading, TV, and the video games.

I wrote to one of our State Legislature last year about my concern in the reduction in funding for education. Her response still makes me grind my teeth, "I have become convinced that the education industry is always going to be requesting more money. We need to properly prioritize where our funds go..."

BTW...Arizona ranks 49th in funds spent on education.

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

49th?! That's horrible!

In my retirement I have devoted my time to teaching extra at home to my 10 year old. Recently our school district has 26 schools that have missed the federal standards and might loose funding. Two friends of my daughter are unable to do 2nd grade math in computer. They are 12 & 14 and in 5th & 8th (special ed); when I tried to talk with these childrens mother about this, her comment was "the kids get A'S".
Teachers are not the greatest fault, parents must be involved completly in thier childrens education. I got involved when at 9 my daughter couldn't give me the correct answer when I asked what 7&8 were. Am I expecting too much?

Parents need to be involved in their child's education. At parent/teacher conferences the parents that come in are those who are getting A's and B's. The students who are failing or getting D's don't come even when a personal phone call is made. Then they have the nerve to blame teachers and the school district.

No child left behind? It doesn't matter if they can't pass, they restructure the curriculum so they pass.........can they read when they graduate? no!! Now you know how our school sytems graduate children that should have not ever graduated.