mail this InsideTeaching entry to a friend
27 October 2004: The Schools Are Burning (2 of 6)
My intention is not to belittle the tragic loss of life in India by comparing it to financial considerations for California public schools. I feel, however, that the analogies presented in these two situations are too great to be ignored.
While No Child Left Behind (NCLB) certainly seems like an idea that everyone, regardless of party affiliation, should be able to support, the incongruous results are shocking. When the results are closely examined, it is clear that this legislation is designed to punish low performing schools. The punishments, not ironically, will inevitably result in even lower performance from these schools. And the students? Are we to believe that it is an accident that the students most affected by this legislation are poor, immigrants, or students of color?
No Child Left Behind has set the scools in California on fire.
|
