The effect of NCLB

NCLB (No Child Left Behind) was put into play in 2002-2003 as a way to "measure" what students were really learning. In all, it actually hurt the students more than helped them. They don't know how to think anymore. They can't formulate their ideas correctly. All they really know is how to "beat the test". I've been in the past few years with my students and it is becoming more and more prevalent.

An article that ran last week in the Washington Post really caught my eye. It was written by a high school teacher who just retired and was directed towards College Professors. I would suggest going to read it. He taught AP (advanced placement) courses which are supposed to be the "top" of the game. Even he had a hard time trying to get the students engaged in what they were learning and make it stick--rather than just getting them to remember it for the test and then forgetting what they actually learned later on.

Please do not blame those of us in public schools for how unprepared for higher education the students arriving at your institutions are. We have very little say in what is happening to public education. Even the most distinguished and honored among us have trouble getting our voices heard in the discussion about educational policy. The National Teacher of the Year is supposed to be the representative of America's teachers--if he or she cannot get teachers' voices included, imagine how difficult it is for the rest of us.

I get this all the time. I am blamed for what I do from the high school teachers. "They don't type fast enough", "They don't know the keyboard", "Why can't they format a document correctly?". . . and on and on and on.

In the article he quotes the 2009 Teacher of the Year Anthony Mullin who wrote a blog post entitled "Teachers should be seen and not heard":

Where do I being? I spent the last thirty minutes listening to a group of arrogant and condescending noneducators disrespect my colleagues and profession. I listened to a group of disingenuous people whose own self-interests guide their policies rather than the interests of children. I listened to a cabal of people who sit on national education committees that will have a profound impact on classroom teaching practices. And I heard nothing of value. "I'm thinking about current health-care debate," I said. "And I'm wondering if I will be asked to sit on a national committee charged with the task of creating a core curriculum of medical procedures to be used in hospital emergency rooms."  

A strange little man cocks his head and, suddenly, the fly on the wall has everyone's attention. 

"I realize that most people would think I am unqualified to sit on such a committee because I am not a doctor, I have never worked in an emergency room, and I have never treated a single patient. So what? Today I have listened to people who are not teachers, have never worked in a classroom, and have never taught a single student tell me how to teach."

I feel like that most of the time.

He ends with a statement that I have heard a few time lately and it has also come out of my mouth recently: "that is why I'm not longer in the classroom". I add the word 'want to be' between 'longer' and 'in', but the idea is still the same. Sad to think that this is the direction we're going.

I used to love teaching. I really did. I'm only in my 3rd year, but it has driven me bonkers. No wonder teaching is climbing the ranks of jobs with highest turn over rate. There are student teachers who are coming in and asking us what we think about it and I really have to bite my tongue. I want to tell them to be prepared for a huge battle and to turn around and run the other direction as fast as they can, but I can't tell them that.

I just bite my tongue and hold on.