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Oct. 2, 2004 Dear Mr. George W. Bush, I am writing this letter concerning the No Child Left Behind Law, which was proposed by you in the beginning of your term of office. It is a noble endeavor and one, I am sure, to which you and the Secretary of Education gave much thought. I would like to ask one question, though, if I may, sir: just what in the world were you thinking when you came up with this insane idea? It is obvious that neither one of you were ever teachers in a classroom. In theory the proposal that no child be left behind educationally is heroic and to be applauded. No child should ever be left behind. NCLB puts forward the plan that all children should be taught the exact same curriculum. On paper the proposal looks excellent. In reality, it is on a par with the search for the Fountain of Youth. It is an ever elusive quest. Since the 1970’s, Federal law has required that all students with all levels of learning capability be taught in the same class. This fiasco, originally called mainstreaming and now called inclusion, is the forerunner of NCLB. I believe that all children should have the same educational advantages. I was a teacher on the battlefield of education for twenty years. And because I was a teacher I can tell you that this new law is not going to work. Unless the playing field of life is leveled so that all children are equal in intelligence, domestic atmosphere, safe neighborhoods, and quality school systems with small classes and an adequate number of teachers’ aides, the NCLB is doomed to failure. Here’s why. The ability to learn is as individual as fingerprints: no two are alike. We are as different in our capability to learn, to retain that learning and put it into use, as any species can be. All of us can learn to touch the keys of a piano, but few of us become Mozart. We can be taught to draw a simple flower but not many will go on to be Georgia O’Keefe. In very primitive terms, all dogs can be trained, but not all dogs become Lassie. The first principal I ever taught under told me that no one is really equal except in the eyes of God. She was referring to the students in my Spanish I class, some of whom had learning disabilities and others who came from homes with “domestic issues.” Covering the established curriculum in the prescribed time limit was a horror story. I worked with the students during class and after school, knowing full well that the subject matter was beyond the comprehension of many of them. I felt frustrated and defeated. I cried for them. I had always excelled in languages and wanted the same for them. I wanted more than anything for them to “get it,” to be able to pass my class. I was sad at the end of the year when certain students didn’t pass. In a perfect classroom, in a perfect world, there isn’t any doubt that no child will be left behind, but we are not living in Utopia. We live in a real world with decimated families, poverty, lack of parental support, and more children diagnosed with brain damage due to drug and alcohol-addicted parents than ever before. These are the real problems that teachers must face on a daily basis when they are trying to let no child be left behind. It has been privately suggested among some education experts that for NCLB to work, teachers will be required to help children in any way they can even if it is educationally wrong. At one in-service session I attended the speaker suggested that teachers may have to start “giving test answers to those students who cannot learn on their own.” He mentioned that “jobs will be on the line if we cannot get these students to pass.” Many teachers feel strongly that this would simply be a new manner of social promotion. Social promotion was never a successful idea. It helped no one and did more harm than good. So, Mr. Bush, you can see that you have left us with a real problem in education. While no one wants to see any child left behind, it is inevitable that some will be because of the circumstances and inequities of life. Your plan is just but, let’s face it, impractical. All children will not all learn the same curriculum because all children are not the same. Different learning levels need different levels of learning. I truly want to see children learn. Learning is a joy. Don’t let No Child Left Behind take away this joy because the law demands that all students be on the same level regardless of ability. This makes no sense. Finding an area where a child can excel would be a much better plan for education. Using a core curriculum with an emphasis on a concentration that suits the individual is a plan worth exploring. Then no child will be left behind because they will attain a sense of self and an appreciation of their own intellect through the ability to excel in their chosen area. Think about it, will you Mr. Bush? I know you have a great deal on your mind right now but this is an idea truly worthy of someone who has used NCLB as the cornerstone of his administration and wishes to be known as the Education President. Education and America’s children need a better plan. Sincerely, Kristen Houghton ------------ About the author Kristen Houghton: Working on a book of short stories, I write a column, "The Writer's Block" on observations of everyday life and a column for educators called iTeach! Email: Krisnalan@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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