I’ve decided to start writing about the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation which was enacted at the beginning of 2002, and has transformed public education as we know it. I am a public school teacher, and have been teaching in Urbana District 116 for seven years. I have seen first hand the changes NCLB has brought to public education: some good, some bad.

First the good. We are streamlining what we teach. This means that we are learning how to teach “essential” (ie: tested) objectives, instead of whatever we happen to like to teach. We are also becoming more homogenized, which means all the history teachers in my department (3) are now attempting to teach the same stuff at approximately the same time. While this is slightly Orwelian, and definitely Maoist, it is also pleasing in an abstract, orderly way.

I think we have seen some good results from the streamlining that has taken place. Our Social Studies test scores are extremely poor in the middle school, but our kids are tested in the 7th grade and since I teach 8th grade my student’s scores are really reflected in the high school test scores, which continue to improve. (Click here to view District 116’s most recent test results.) I also think the streamlining has helped us to know what we are expected to teach - it has forced us to examine what and how we teach. Which is a good thing.

The problem with NCLB is that it is driving everything we do in Urbana. Every professional growth afternoon is geared toward NCLB improvement. Every goal in our school improvement plan is about raising the AYP (Average Yearly Progress). This emphasis on “performance” has made stressed-out wrecks of good teachers and administrators. Folks are rethinking teaching in droves, and many are choosing to leave education for something less regulated (like the Stock Market!). The environment and morale are literally at an all time low. This is not a good thing.

For the record, District 116 receives about 15% of its budget from the US Government. Click here to analyze the budget further.

One of the other problems with NCLB is it’s absolutely ridiculous expectations. A careful reading of the plan shows that every district that receives federal money is required have 100% (that’s right every single student) meeting or exceeding standards by 2011 (more on the tests themselves at a later date). 100% includes all caseload students (LD, BD, Extreme Mental Handicap, ESL, etc.) and all regular education students. This goal is simply not possible. But, that’s the point.

At the end of the day NCLB is a clever way for the Republicans in DC to funnel federal monies out of schools and into private education companies, or “supplemental education services” (SES). In Urbana, we have already lost over $1.7 million in federal money to NCLB in the form of Title 1 funding which is now to be transferred to the SES. More on these tutoring agencies in a later post.

I have been most surprised by the astounding lack of leadership we have seen in Urbana regarding NCLB. Like trained puppies our School Board and Superintendent and rolled over for this highly dubious legislation, and failed to demonstrate effective resistance. It appears that they believe our district will somehow manage to achieve 100% meets or exceeds by 2011. I’d like a hit of whatever they are smoking.