COMMENTARY | It has been reported by Associated Press that President Obama will free 10 states from the educational constraints put in place by No Child Left Behind. The controversial education plan put in place by President Bush calls for schools to meet minimum educational standards by 2014 or face penalties. Unfortunately, the plan has not unfolded as many had hoped, and schools are now faced with the daunting challenge of meeting steep expectations. Will NCLB rebound, or is this the first step towards the end?
Follow the leader
One has to assume that granting a waiver to 10 states may create a precedent that is quickly followed by others. If a majority of states are granted waivers, it may signal the inability of NCLB to hold schools accountable. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan can talk tough by suggesting that other states will be held to the expectations of NCLB. However, his statement that "it is the law of the land," may ring hollow if other states play an educational game of follow-the-leader.
The dreaded test
Of course, much of the criticism centers on the standardized test and the concern that educators are "teaching to the test." Concerns about standardized tests are not new. In the past, standardized tests have been accused of only being accessible to certain types of learners, or to particular racial or socioeconomic groups. Some of this may be true, but the problem remains that the United States might not have a better solution. If the standardized test dies a slow death, it may not be long before people start complaining about the varied educational standards across the country. This could revive the demand for a universal measure of educational outcomes. As noted by the Washington Post, the Education Department may be "obsessed" with test scores, but we are a world of quantitative measures. Qualitative data is much more interesting, but it is also much more difficult to gather and analyze.
The future of government regulations
Perhaps this decision will not weaken NCLB, and will simply be a way to allow schools a bit more time to meet the standards. I do think it is possible that states will continue to push back the deadlines to the point where the legislation is rendered useless. There are plenty of teachers and schools that are working hard, but there are also districts that are not willing to make the necessary changes needed to raise standards. Too many teachers are more concerned with job security than they are with pushing themselves to work harder in the classroom. In addition, America is very much in love with their outdated educational calendar that includes summer vacation. Finally, educational performance is impacted by much more than just the quality of the school. The breakdown of the family unit, as well as socioeconomic disparity may play an even bigger role in the struggles of the American school system.
NCLB may need some tweaks, but the reality is that it is supposed to be hard.
The author teaches at the college level and prior to entering the classroom he spent many years in higher education administration. On occasion he also enjoys the pure entertainment of substitute teaching at the high school and middle school levels.
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