No Child Left Behind

As we have talked about in many many of our classes, No Child Left Behind is taking a toll on our education system. I do think that we need something implemented for those states that have schools that just are not up to par. My cousins just moved to Arkansas about two years ago and my aunt has already pulled them out to home school them. She said that she can just not believe how much the teachers do not even want to be there, let alone care if their students are getting the education that they need. It is schools like these that need some sort of motivation to give children the best education that they can, but No Child Left Behind is just not working. It involves all states and I think it has actually changed the teaching style of Michigan for the worse. Many teachers here are so worried about this test that the students are not getting the creativity that they deserve and once had.

On top of this children with special needs are at a total disadvantage. I cannot remember the exact figure but there is a small amount of students with special needs that get extra help on these tests and the rest just have to deal with it. Furthermore, 95% of these students with special needs have to pass in order for that school to pass AYP. I feel like in order for the schools to pass they have to use some sort of strategy like grouping that 5% that does not have to pass and put them to the side. Pretty much just excluding them and accepting the fact that they will fail. Then they can use that percentage of people who get help to go towards students who will most likely pass if they have the help and then hope for the best with everyone else. This is such a terrible thought, but many teachers are relying on such strategies since there is not much else to do. Obviously, it is a heated topic and I just hope by the time I start teaching it has become a bit better.