All Children MUST Be Left Behind?

Question

So if we, as teachers, know that "No Child Left Behind" is one of the most pathetic pieces of legislature ever, what can we do about it?

To TI:


Are you even familiar with the No Child Left Behind legislature?

The problem is I WANT students to succeed. I don't want them to fall behind. That's the point of my question. Why do we have a piece of legislature that intentionally turns education into stupidity?

Answer 1

AGGH!!!!!!! i am a gifted kid and hate that program. its more like "no child allowed ahead!" i go to a gifted class for 45 minutes once a week. kids who need xtra help get to go to a special class for about half a school day every day!!! a little unbalanced... NO DUH!!! ugh. well the only thing to do is vote against it and sign petitions, like me. but i can't vote. lol. but i have signed tons of online petitions!

Answer 2

Listen. Here it is. You know that education has its trends. This is one. If you really want to make a difference in your students' lives, you need to focus on teaching and what you can do within the parameters that are currently constraining us. Otherwise, you'll either get disillusioned and quit like most people (therefore, leaving every child behind) or stress yourself so much that you won't be focused on what you really need to be...teaching the kids.

I know that one school of thought has us being political activists, but really. Don't we have enough on our plates? Do the crap that they insist that we do and move on. It's ALWAYS going to be something. We can choose to gripe about those somethings or we can quietly go about the job of inspiring genius in every child while just completing what is required of us in the quickest way possible.

Stay happy! Focus on the positive and the possible! I'm learning these things from a wonderful co-worker of mine who has been teaching 30 years this year. Not only is she still teaching, she is still doing so creatively and effectively. I know we all want to save the world. And maybe you will if you decide to become a politician instead. As for me, I'd rather save one or two kids and not worry about the rest.

I hope this helps. Go grade papers and do some really cool lesson plans! Stay away from the negative people in the teacher's lounge! Yay, Mr. Mattfrom....! :)

Answer 3

Make it your own perpose to do whatever you can. I am in my third year of teaching computer classes at a Christian school. You just have to put yourself there for the kids, and go that extra step.

It seems to me like we spend more on the military than for our education. (I am also a disabled Navy vet!)

The U.S. as a country is so far behind everyone else in the world. Just look at some of the crazy talk here on YM!

Nobody is taking an education seriosly. We are all on our way to Hell, and Bush is driving the school bus!

Answer 4

Very Little. But you have taken the first step. If the teachers speak up people may listen. The intent was good but like so much legislation the implementation was left to bureaucrats who have to justify their jobs without any concern for the intent. Produce something, it doesn't matter what is too common. I agree it has not worked, it has prevented my kids schools from teaching them at the levels they are capable of. We have always supplemented their schooling with other sources.

Answer 5

Vote for the person who has plans to change it. Research everyone's views when re-election comes around and make sure "no Child Left Behind" is a concern of theirs. The only way to change it is to find representatives that are willing to admit there is a problem.

Answer 6

We can do everything!
Whats wrong with NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND, we should be proud to be teachers in the U.S, where we have the power to help students get ahead, help them, and make sure they get the education they need. We have the power to make failing student the brightest of them all, we have that obligation. And if your asking what can I do to help these student then you need to read this list:

1) offer tutoring individually
2) ask the students if they understand
3) call their parents if they are not doing so well!
4) make sure you talk with them individually!

MOST IMPORTANT you have to MOTIVATE, and INSPIRE,

the best teachers do those things. We are teaching the future leaders of our society. we are teaching future, lawyers, doctors, teachers, actors/ actresses, and sports stars of this country! if you are asking yourself what you can do, then you are not teaching properly. Good teachers teach, Great teachers inspire. You need to motivate your students to come to school so they don't get left behind. Don't just call them failures and move on, teach them that's your job!

Answer 7

Teachers should make their best effort to make sure children who are having trouble get help. If they assume that a child is "dumb" or "can't succeed" then they don't deserve to be a teacher.

If you are talking about something in particular in the legislature that doesn't have to do with my answer, then I apologise.

Answer 8

I think the "No Child Left Behind" act started when I was in 4th grade,I remember camera men in my classroom,when they were announcing it,I was on TV,im a freshmen now at a college prep highschool,I have escaped the current system,since all the students in my highschool have equal willpower,but different levels of brain power.Teachers should help students with will power.

Anyway,my LA teacher last year (in 8th grade) told me the U.S. goes through different shifts of school policy.It happens every couple dozen years.
Before the system we have now... (during the Soviet Union)
the government is very strict about schools and there is much interference,the students must work hard,and there is the "bell system".
The bell system is basically a
paraballa graph.Where the bottom left side of the graph are the students who are failing,the middle mountain peak the average,and the far right side,the super smart students.

The government goal was to educate the peak of the mountain,and give high focus on the elite.

They made sure 'uncapable students' don't bother the rest.

And then there is a more soften and nicer approach,with heavy consequences...
And now(in 2007) we have a system where those who are the lowest in the graph will be given the most attention,and even if they don't pay attention and don't care about school,they will be cared for a lot.In fact my middle school is in ruins now because of that system.

The intellectual students in my middle school are attempting to switch out and go to another middle school,and for highschool,they don't go to the highschool next to my middle school,the one where there are failing standardized test scores,because students who go to my middle school are automatically enrolled there.So many of the intellectual and average students in my 8th grade class escaped to other highschools (I did the same) and don't go to the one they are automatically enrolled to,because that highschool gives focus to students on the left end of the graph,it follows the modern system.

And luckily I managed to escape that highschool and im a freshmen at a college prep highschool.

The system we have now isn't working,giving high focus to students who don't care about school is making the average students start failing,so there is a larger gap between capable students and those who are failing,that was the case in my middle school.As a result of the "No Child Left Behind" act,most of the teachers I had in 7th grade are no longer teaching there,they have been fired for "letting down" the students.Some even quit teaching all together because they had to help the students at all costs.And whats the result?The average and smart students escaped the system,some were not successful because of inconvinience.What happened?Well most of the students in my honors class in 8th grade are not going to the High School next to our Middle School,the one with failing test scores and a fight every day,they all escaped to different High Schools,ones that would give them the attention they need,ones that will train them for college.I did the same...

I didn't end up going to the high school next to my middle school,the one I am automatically going to be transfered to,I switched out,I escaped the dreadful system.

The teachers that had inspired me in 7th grade shouldn't be fired because of students who don't pay attention being failed.

Students who actually try are not going to join the system,they won't go to a school where they are not cared for,they will try and escape to a place where they get attention.College prep highschools being an example.

Actually my L.A. teacher from last year made a failed attempt to go teach at another school,the school im going to now.

So what will be the result of continueing the system? More division,the average students will fall,the smart and average students will escape to other schools in a desperate attempt to get better educations.

The system doesn't exist at the college prep high school I go to.There is an equal boost for all the students,there is no care about intelligence capability,the fact is,im average when it comes to brain power at this high school I go to,but the school gives the same amount of work to most of the students,and they all excel,and the gap between failing and exceeding is very small.And thats because all the students want to actually do something with life.

Honestly,was there more advancement in science during the first 10 years of the schools being pushed hard?Or more advancement now?

Back then,there was a lot of advancement,now America is beginning to fall back in terms of education.

Answer 9

Well, I'm not a teacher, but I watched Supersize Me. In that film, they replaced crummy government issue cafeteria food with whole foods in a school for troubled youths, and they found that their behavior, attention span, and achievement scores all got much better. So I think one of the ways to improve schools is to get rid of the sugar, junk foods, and government issued foods, and replace them with good, nutritious foods.

Answer 10

I wish I knew. Our school has completly stopped teaching,and is now catering to the "no child left behind" crap. Try teaching this stuff to mainstream kids-thats about a joke!