Has "No Child Left Behind" led to dumber kids?

[jackfaire]

She used to have problem "crossing the midline" on a piece of paper. Also, there was an article somewhere (either in a magazine or on the internets) that claims research shows those children who are ambidexterious are also more likely to be ADD or ADHD.

Wow trippy. When I was a kid for awhile I couldn't cross the midline in air. If I was supposed to like draw a plus in the air I would do one side with one hand then flip hands to do the other side.

[telecom_goddess]

Simple, we quit coddling stupid and lazy people. Why should the rest of us have to suffer...because some idiot (and I'm being nice here) can't understand simple concepts? Instead of saying "you need to work on your (insert subject here) skills," too many people think that will hurt their kids in the long run. Instead, they insist to ignore failures, and pass the kid anyway. Never mind *that* does more harm than good...

All too often, you get people who want to "sterilize" the world. That is, that nothing "bad" can happen to their children, no matter how badly the kid fucks up. Sorry, but the "real world" isn't like that. You screw up, you get fired, or into trouble. Sure, these kids may have an easier education. However, is it worth destroying their futures because the real world isn't as tolerant of failure? Somehow, I doubt it.

I agree one hundred percent, couldn't have said it any better!

[Vagabond]

What was it Denis Leary said "Life is hard; get a helmet".

[Lace Neil Singer]

I became ambidextrious after I broke my right arm and never noticed a need for different tools when using my left.

I broke my right hand... and still used that hand to write with. My signature looked like the work of a crazy person, but I still refused to use my left hand to write.

[PepperElf]

There's a reason why I call it "No Child Left Unpassed"

The reason is ... actually reasons...


Teacher 1: First year of teaching for her. She found the kids were misbehaving a lot and had to spend a lot of her time just getting them to shut up and sit down.

When she gave out homework some of them actually tried telling her they were going to sue her over it. And students weren't doing their work.

So she gave them the grades they earned.

One father approached her after school - or rather.... he cornered her and used threatening body language. Started yelling about how dare she fail his son... and the answer that the son wasn't doing the work didn't matter to him. It was her fault.

The last straw - the school ordered her to pass the students anyway.
They were going to lose federal money if the students didn't pass, even if they were failing.

She quit.


Second teacher. She's still working I think. But she got the same thing from the school.

"These students who aren't passing. Change their grades to passing!"

Yep.


Forget about "no student left behind"... all it did was encourage schools to pass lazy students who didn't want to do their work.

why bother doing any work when you'll still pass the class?

[Dreamstalker]

When I made the comment about tools I was thinking more along the lines of power tools, etc and things that can %&@! you up if used with the opposite hand.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Well our fearless President has decided it's time for changes in NCLB:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100201/...bama_education

Unfortunately those changes relate to rewarding and recognizing those schools who come CLOSE to making their goals on standardized tests as well as those who meet or exceed them. It's still all centered around the tests, that doesn't fix anything.

I also love this little tidbit: "Education Secretary Arne Duncan credited No Child Left Behind with shining a spotlight on children who need the most help"

Uhhh, if by "shining a spotlight" you mean "giving a free pass" then yes, I agree with you 100% Ms. Duncan...

[HYHYBT]

that doesn't fix anything.

It doesn't fix everything, but not requiring the impossible is a large step in the right direction!

[Arcade Man D]

"These students who aren't passing. Change their grades to passing!"

Great.....

This is my planned career path, too. And this worries me.

Not that I wouldn't stand up to it, but that I would let lose a tirade the likes of which would make my grandfather (a World War 2 sailor) blush.

[fireheart17]

Great.....

This is my planned career path, too. And this worries me.

Not that I wouldn't stand up to it, but that I would let lose a tirade the likes of which would make my grandfather (a World War 2 sailor) blush.

It is for me as well. Thankfully we don't have that here in Australia, but I'm still worried that something like that could potentially be introduced.