No Child Left Behind?

The No Child Left Behind act that was signed in 2001 seems to be leaving a lot of children behind. All children are expected to meet a level of “proficiency” based on state testing by year 2014. The change in standards coming from the No Child Left Behind scoring means less and less schools are able to reach that goal. The number of schools not reaching the goal set for “adequate yearly progress” could skyrocket from 37% to 82%.

The problem with this system is that not ever state tests the same, or even has the same way of testing for No Child Left Behind. The concept behind the entire program is fundamentally flawed. They took out all the individuality and the ability of educators to shape the learning around the children by mandating state tests. This is not what every child needs. With a shrinking education budget during the current economic crisis No Child Left Behind is just no longer a viable solution. Education needs the individuality and creativity of strong educators instead of the overarching watch of the government.