What will a Democratic Congress do with NCLB?

[LWolf]

As an educator, this is a litmus test issue for the party. Will Democrats stand up for public education and refuse to renew this garbage? Or will they spout rhetoric and "fix" it. As if fixing a weapon of public education destruction is a worthy goal. :eyes:

I will forgive the Democrats who voted for it the first time around under the delusion that it would actually help close the "achievement gap." I won't forget their cluelessness, but I'll forgive their culpability in foisting this disaster on a generation of students and future voters.

I'll even forgive Teddy for helping to write the crap, if he will stand up and oppose it's renewal.

It's time, though. What is a Democratic Congress for, if not to stand up for public education for all? There are many problems in the massive bureaucratic system we call public ed. I'll be glad to address those problems, if any congressperson ever wants to do something real that will help make a positive difference. NCLB doesn't. We need to stop spending our attention and resources on test scores and corporate "programs" that will somehow raise those scores, and start paying attention to the actual needs of students. NCLB doesn't. Here is a petition calling for the end of NCLB. I challenge all who believe that public education is an essential piece of the democratic process to sign, kick, and recommend.

http://www.educatorroundtable.org/

<snip>

A Petition Calling For the Dismantling of the No Child Left Behind Act

We, the educators, parents, and concerned citizens whose names appear below, reject the misnamed No Child Left Behind Act and call for legislators to vote against its reauthorization. We do so not because we resist accountability, but because the law's simplistic approach to education reform wastes student potential, undermines public education, and threatens the future of our democracy.

Below, briefly stated, are some of the reasons we consider the law too destructive to salvage. In its place we call for formal, state-level dialogues led by working educators rather than by politicians, ideology-bound "think tank" members, or leaders of business and industry who have little or no direct experience in the field of education.

Each of the reasons is well documented, and linked to said documentation.

[MadHound]

1. Hopefully they will repeal this bullshit next year

It is already adveresly effecting our educational system, slowly but surely privatizing our education system. Meanwhile, more and more emphasis is being put on math and science, and while this is a worthwhile endeavor, other areas like the arts, english and social studies are sufferering because of it.

I find myself in an interesting position, I've gone back to college in mid life to get an educational degree. I feel the need to teach Social Studies, precisely because of the neglect that I've seen given to these subjects over the past twenty years. It's almost as if the educational system has deliberately de-emphasized this area in order to have passive, unknowledgeable citizens. I plan to change that.

[Solo_in_MD]

12. No chance...

We are no where near a veto proof congress or senate. There are enough DINOs that it would not even pass...

[LWolf]

18. Welcome to the profession.

Since NCLB is the "new and improved" ESEA, I expect that we will see some form of ESEA. I'd like to see them drop the NCLB label, all testing requirements and the attached mandates and sanctions, and move towards something that will really help ALL children learn.

[katinmn]

2. Throw it out! Enough teaching to federal tests. Enough of

unfunded mandates. NCLB is another failed Bush policy aimed at helping industry, not kids. NCLB is a conduit for allowing the military to gain intelligence on children and gives big pharma access to the juvenile market through universal mental health screening.

The new Congress needs to throw it out. It is a huge waste of money and harmful to our kids.

[LWolf]

4. We are in agreement. Please sign the petition.

:thumbsup:

[katinmn]

7. Done! K&R

:hi:

edited to include K&R. This is important.

[CRK7376]

3. I pray they repeal

the damn thing. It's a worthless piece of legislation that has only hurt public education. At least in my part of the rural south...And while they are at it, lets hope the new congress does something about warrantless searchs in the name of terrorism, Gitmo, and the whole host of death and destruction brought to our nation by Bush and his cronies!

[ChazII]

5. You are more forgiving

than I am. Ted crapped in his mess kit as far as I am concerned.

[LWolf]

6. I'm trying to be.

I'm trying to extend an olive branch. Will the Democratic Congress reach out and take it? That remains to be seen. Do rank and file Democrats care?

How many here at DU will sign the petition? Will recommend the thread? Is NCLB as important as the rest of the stuff on the front page, or?

It remains to be seen!

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Kennedy has spoken out several times about NCLB

It is not the law he helped create.

[LWolf]

21. He sponsored NCLB.

He was there for the signing.

So far, his comments since then seem to be, not about the gross flaws, but about how it is not fully funded. As far as I can tell, he wants to keep it on the books, but fund it.

That means high-stakes testing, sanctions, AYP, mandated programs, more commercial programs to document your "improvement plan" (SFA, anyone?) etc. will continue if Senator Kennedy has his way.

<snip>

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on President Bush’s No Child Left Behind remarks:

“Our nation’s future depends on many things, but certainly one of the most important aspects of the strength of our democracy is the excellence of our public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act charted a sound course for the future of American education, to improve our schools, to set high standards and focus on student outcomes, and to close the achievement gap so that all students have the benefit of a quality education.

But sadly, President Bush has yet to learn his lesson on leaving no child behind. This Administration and the Republican Congress have turned the No Child Left Behind Act into a political slogan rather than the solemn oath it was intended to be to our nation’s students, parents, and teachers. The President calls for private school vouchers while America’s schools continue to wait for the funding needed to carry out the reforms under the law. Republican budgets have fallen short by over $55 billion since the No Child Left Behind Act was enacted, leaving 3.7 million children behind this year alone.

Schools need better solutions to respond to the challenges identified by the No Child Left Behind Act. We need full funding for the Act.

..................................................................

I welcome the opportunity to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act next year. It’s time to fulfill the promise under the No Child Left Behind Act and get these essential reforms back on track.”

http://www.tedkennedy.com/journal/1234/kennedy-response-to-bushs-no-child-left-behind-speech

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. It is not the bill he wrote

Because he knew he wouldn't win the debate and because he wanted a say in this piece of legislation that he had put years of effort into, he signed off on sponsorship. And then he immediately began demanding that it be funded. That is so much more than most of our other elected reps have done, from BOTH parties.

One of the greatest disappointments during the recent election campaign was that no one talked about NCLB. I am afraid that many of our elected reps have resigned themselves to this need for accountability crap. So NCLB is taking a back seat to the war, prescription drug prices and a dozen other issues. Ted Kennedy is one of the few who has criticized this law.

So while I would like to slap him for co-sponoring it, I am grateful to have his voice. I also believe it would be fairly easy to convince him that the bill sucks.

I have written him to express my concerns. I wonder how many other teachers have contacted him?

[LWolf]

23. I have, anyway.

I've been contacting politicians about NCLB since it became law.

There are some interesting names on the signature list of this petition; several of them have well-worn places on my professional shelf. I hope it gets enough signatures to make elected reps sit up and take notice, and I hope we get something more than an argument for "fully funding." We need to fund learning opportunities, not legislative and educational disasters, lol.

As far as Senator Kennedy goes, we'll see where he lands when it comes up for renewal. At this point, that's what is going to count.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. On another subject, did you see this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2804555

[LWolf]

27. Not this one, lol. I'll give it a kick.

I did see this one, though ;) :

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=219&topic_id=5038

[loudestchick]

29. I despise SFA!!!!! Teacher proof canned curriculum...shit!

[dubykc]

8. NCLB has done far more damage than it could ever have done good to our ...

struggling public education system.

I signed the petition.

K&R

[LWolf]

9. Thank you!

:yourock:

[Greyhound]

10. The third "lost generation" is in school now, how many more are we

willing to lose? The general level of education in this country is a global embarrassment and national shame. This must be stopped. :grr:

[porphyrian]

11. I'll kick that. - n/t

[Catshrink]

13. Done!

Thanks for posting!

:kick:

[LWolf]

14. You're welcome, and thanks.

:kick:

[mzteris]

15. done. K&R. n/t

[LWolf]

16. More than a hundred signatures added since

I started this thread this morning, and I know some are from DUers.

Thanks, DU!

:applause:

[ulysses]

17. thanks for bringing this to my attention.

:hi:

[LWolf]

19. You're welcome.

There are some big names scattered throughout that signature list; many of them have been on my professional shelf for years. I noticed you are on the same page with Richard Allington. :D

:hi:

[Nikki Stone1]

24. NCLB has been a disaster at the classroom level

It seems to be making money for a lot of private testing companies.

[LWolf]

28. Money for private testing companies.

Money for corporate programs using an approved "pseudo-scientifically researched instructional method" required by the "improvement plan" after a school doesn't make AYP; which, by the way, often means a scripted curriculum and rote drill and kill activities.

Money to hire a private tutoring company to provide mandated tutoring. Money to hire consultants to come in and tell us how we don't know what we're doing, and we have to do everything their way. Of course, these consultants come from other companies who want to make a buck on the cash cow that NCLB is for private education related corporations.

You wonder where so much of the funding for public ed is going? Follow the NCLB maze.

[tnlefty]

26. I signed the petition and bookmarked the site so that I can send it

to a couple of educator friends later. I have a feeling they will be more than happy to send it around to lots of folks. Thanks for posting this.

:kick:

[LWolf]

30. You're welcome, and thanks for the kick! n/t

[LWolf]

31. 23 hours later, more than 2,000 signatures have been added.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: