Is the No Child Left Behind education law in America a good policy and worth continuing?

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U.S. Political Debates

20 Contributors
in this discussion.

Yes
25% of users

  • yes

    yes because we need our children to get the same value education as the other child

    Yes Anonymous

  • Yes, because the No Child Left Behind law should be maintained to provide for the continuing equal education of all students.

    All children are worthy of the same value of education as the other. If we allow one student to excel, and one student to fall behind, then we are once again promoting bigotry and hatred, both of which we do not need to be promoted to children. We need this program to ensure the value of the next generation.

    Yes aerosmithgirl12

  • I agree with the No Child Left Behind act because it makes sure that every child receives the education and special teaching they require so they receive a good education.

    Due to the regular testing required by this legislation, students' learning problems are identified regularly and the teachers are able to work harder with students in the areas of concern.

    Yes Kri5Giga

  • The no child left behind policy is a good one.

    I do believe that the no child left behind education law is a good policy. It makes sure that all children are educated. This is beneficial because to even get a minimum wage job you have to have a high school diploma. I do believe this policy should be continued.

    Yes barbiegirll

  • Improving the education standards to hold schools to higher standards is very worthwhile.

    Even though the education system in America has more money per capita than many other countries, American children rank behind others that spend less. New standards of holding schools accountable is very important. The law may not be perfect and could be improved, but the general goal is worthwhile and should not be dropped in the face of objections from teacher unions.

    Yes ddeathnote
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No
75% of users

  • I oppose The No Child Left Behind law, because it doesn't actually help our schools or children.

    The No Child Left Behind law does very little for American education. It simply increases the amount of standardized testing, which puts an even greater burden on educators to teach for the sake of a test, rather than for the sake of learning. What is really needed is increased funding for education in order to help schools, not just more and more often unrealistic standards, with no real assistance in meeting them. In addition, it penalizes schools in underprivileged areas, where the problem is less on the teacher, but more in the home.

    No BoorishKraig93

  • No Child Left Behind was a good intention, but it was never implemented well or funded enough.

    No Child Left Behind was just one of several grandiose, but botched, sweeping policy attempts that were designed not to be actually effective, but fuel the supposed legacy of the President that pitched the idea and started it. Follow up funding was inadequate, at best, and schools across the country have choked and suffered in trying to keep up with the requirements, while not being given the money they were promised. Untie their hands and let them actually take care of our children.

    No FlakyHerb64

  • No Child Left Behind is an unfunded mandate that has no basis in what education should be about.

    No Child Left Behind needs to be ended. As it stands now, the sole measure of a school's success for this law is that school's performance on a standardized test. This has led to even greater focus by the schools on teaching to the test. Teaching the standards of what the test measures would be fine, but many schools spend weeks of instruction time teaching the exact questions on previous tests rather than teaching children how to think critically for themselves and solve problems on their own. There has been a decline in student initiative in the past several years, and I believe the hyper-focus on testing by both the teachers and the students have played into this.

    No TrainLock

  • It's forcing schools to close and students are being forced to go to already overcrowded schools.

    The ideas behind the act was no doubt meant for good intentions. I have personally seen schools being closed and students sent to other already overcrowded schools. I find it hard to believe that with 40-50 students in a class a child can get the help needed.

    No BumpyRay88

  • The No Child Left Behind law is not a good policy because it does not take into account the vastly different levels of funding available in different school districts.

    If all of our public schools had access to equal funding, the No Child Left Behind law would probably help raise the level of educational excellence in our country. This is not the case. Thomas Jefferson objected strongly to having schools funded through local property taxes. He anticipated what has happened. Schools in wealthy neighborhoods with more expensive homes have a higher property tax income to fund their schools. The teachers are paid more, the facilities are better and kept in good repair, text books and computer access is available to students. The opposite is true in low-income areas with smaller less expensive homes. This creates a basic inequity in the quality of education. The No Child Left Behind law is designed AS IF all educational opportunities in America were equal. This is just silly because we all know that this is not the case. If the No Child Left Behind law were structured so that schools in areas with a lower property tax base would be compensated in such a way that the per child annual expenditures were equal throughout the country--then it would work. As it is now, it does not and will not work.

    No CI3Iike

  • No Child Left Behind is not worth continuing because it disallows for the differences in children and makes for a more canned curriculum.

    Not everybody can learn the same things in the same amount of time, and basically No Child Left Behind assumes that everyone can. Therefore, what No Child Left Behind turns into is No Child Gets Ahead. In this country we have got to come to terms with the fact that the same curriculum does not fit everyone. Everyone is not college material, and that is a good thing for everyone. We need to accept differences and cater to them rather than try to believe that everyone is the same and can do the same things.

    No OnfBIeak

  • The thing about "No child left behind" is that what it really is is "Hold children back". I disagree with this policy.

    The responsibility of a teacher should be to do the best job educating ALL their students that they can - no child left behind was well meaning, but it prevents teachers from doing this job. While it ensures the slowest children get the best education they can have, the smarter children are held back and restricted in what they can learn. A child who might have excelled and done very well in life is held back at a slower pace and may run into all kinds of trouble in their academic career because of this. Smart children develop behavioral problems and loose interest in school. All children should be taught at their own pace, and those who can excel should be nourished and given everything they need to do so so that the country might flourish with them when they graduate.

    No DuaneAir

  • I am opposed to continuing the No Child Left Behind law because it has had unintended negative impacts on education.

    Several teachers have explained to me that No Child Left Behind requirements have hindered curriculum improvements, cost their school systems a lot of money, and actually lowered the standards for inclusive education at their schools. Testing has been aimed at fulfilling this law. While it is a good idea on paper, it has not worked out well in practice in school systems near me.

    No baltute

  • No Child Left Behind has added a lot of testing for students.

    Many teachers don't like the No Child Left Behind policy because a lot of class time is taken by testing. Teachers feel that they have to spend a lot of time teaching only the information that will be on the test, which sometimes doesn't fit with their overall lesson plan. Also, all students are required to take the tests, even if they are severely disabled in some way, which can bring the average down for the school and give people the wrong idea of the quality of education at that school. I think we should trust the teachers on this, and most of them don't like No Child Left Behind.

    No N Schroeder 60

  • It is a great policy, but one that is almost impossible to follow in today's schools.

    The no child left behind law was one that meant well, and unfortunately just will not work today. Most of the kids in inner city schools and rural schools lack the support at home to enable them to pass these standards. Minorities are hit especially hard because they don't have the support of their families to supplement the education they receive in the public schools.

    No 5h035Bow

  • Even teachers don't like No Child Left Behind.

    No Child Left Behind is yet another failure of a failed administration and should end. Because of No Child Left Behind, teachers are having to hold their students to a lower standard. The better performing students are bored, and the lower performing students don't have to work any harder to achieve. Their status quo work is sufficient enough to pass.

    No BLeonard

  • No Child Left Behind education law in America is not good policy and not worth continuing because it's an unfunded mandate with ridiculous expectations.

    No Child Left Behind education law in America is not good policy and not worth continuing because it's an unfunded mandate with ridiculous expectations. Teachers should be accountable and schools should strive to be better, then merely "not bad," but education is stifled by this policy by making teachers teach to the tests and spend more times justifying their work with matrices than to spend quality time with their students.

    No H0bi3Invader

  • I believe the No Child Left Behind Act is a bad policy and should be discontinued.

    The No Child Left Behind Act rewards schools whose students perform well academically with more funds. Academic performance of students does not rely solely on what happens within the school building. There are environmental factors such as the neighborhood in which the student lives that also impacts academic performance. Schools in neighborhoods with high crime rates should receive more funding to establish after school programs and other positive extracurricular activities.

    No w00dwitch

  • The No Child Left Behind Law has caused monumental loss for the students who can't keep up because they lack the ability due to disability.

    The No Child Left Behind Law has resulted in uncountable loss among students with learning disorder and disabilities. Because of the mandates in the law countless students with disabilities and learning disorders have had to drop out of school because they have no choice due to the loss of assistance once offered to kids with those disorders. The No Child Left Behind Law has one major flaw. What do you do with kids who will never pass those mandatory exams required for graduation. The loss of exceptions previously offered to students with legitimate disabilities has taken a catastrophic toll causing immeasurable amounts of stress and the loss of countless students to homeschooling and then ultimately to quitting school.

    No TasticBran

  • No child left behind encourages teachers to prepare students to take a test and not for life

    Every experienced teacher I know says that No Child left behind restricts their ability to really teach kids. Teacher's spend the majority of their time preparing kids for the test as opposed to teaching them how to think. Education is not about standardization, it is about critical thinking and problem solving development, and the tests designed for this policy is not geared toward the later. I think the concept of holding teachers accountable, and working to make sure all children learn is good, but this policy is not the way, and does more harm than good.

    No XglossyWynd
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Is the No Child Left Behind education law in America a good policy and worth continuing?
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